A Fallen Star
by FreeToRun
Summary: Begins after Eponine's death when Marius finds a letter written to him revealing a big secret she kept fom him, changing his life. This story is set during the Revolution of 1848 and now Marius and Cosette are married with children. Marius finds himself back in Paris- with a job and a mission of his own: help bring law and order back to the streets and find the girl they call Estee
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, so this is my first Les Mis fic and I'm really nervous and excited! I just hope people read it! Anyway, I'm just letting you know that this story merges the book/musical/new movie all together, but it's mostly based on the play. Also, I've kind of made some stuff up myself, so please don't be all like "well this doesn't follow this version" and all that stuff. That is just a warning! And disclaimer: I do not own Les Mis at all and all songs/plots belong to respective owners. Thank you and please enjoy!**

Paris, June 1832

"And rain will make the flowers…"

"And rain will make the flowers...grow. Eponine…Eponine. No. No!" I held her tightly as the rain came down on us. By now, I could not control the tears streaming down my face and the sobs coming out of my mouth. I couldn't believe she was dead. There was so much blood. I felt as if a part of me bled out with her as she stopped breathing and closed her eyes. She was actually so beautiful. I had always known her to be a pretty girl and a very good friend to me, but now I saw her in a different light. Still crying, I pulled her wet body closer to me and kissed her forehead. She was amazing and perfect; I just wished I had one more moment with her so I could tell her that. I had known her many years now and we were as close as any friends could be, but that was all we were. Friends. There was a time I would have considered her more, but meeting my love, Cosette, left no doubt in my mind where we stood. But looking at her lifeless body now, I was overcome with such grief I did not know what to do with it. I prayed and wished so hard she would live, I had told her she would, but the Lord had taken her from me. Hopefully she is at peace now and she will never again feel pain. Only I will feel the pain now-the pain of losing her. Everyone was gathering around, their faces fallen at the sight of our first friend shot on the barricade. Her brother, Gavroche, was sobbing closest to us. Nobody knew what to do now that one of us was actually dead. Every one of us could die tonight as well. We all looked around as the reality set in. Why did it have to be her to die?

Enjolras was the first one to step up after a moment of silence, "She is the first to fall. The first of us to fall upon this barricade."

I stood up next to him, "Her name was Eponine! Her life was cold and dark yet she was unafraid!"

The others began to join in, "We fight here in her name."

"She will not die in vain."

"She will not be betrayed."

Fighting for her, we too rushed onto the barricade and fought unafraid to die.

* * *

It was months later before I could return to the ABC Café and visit the place where all my friends planned, lived, and died bravely. On my way out, through the tears, I spotted my old briefcase downstairs that had survived, as it was hidden in a shelf. "Cosette," I addressed my love.

"Yes dear?" She responded with a smile on her beautiful face. I was torn apart by the death of my best friend, and that was hard enough. I do not know what I would ever do if I lost Cosette. And I know she would not be able to live if I had died that day, either. By some miracle above, I was the one of my friends who made it away from that barricade alive.

"Could you give me a minute alone?" I asked, knowing I needed to be here by myself. Just me and the ghosts of my past. She gave me a concerned look and I had to smile at how much she cared for me. "It's okay. I'll be fine. I'll call if I need you." She just nodded and stepped out into the street. I sighed and hobbled over to the shelf, my heart pounding at the sight of it. So many memories came flooding back to me and I forced myself to remain composed and not break down again. I gingerly lifted it out, but as I sat down and opened it, a piece of paper came fluttering out. Curiously, I reached down to the dusty floor and picked up the dirty piece of paper folded up and sealed shut. _Marius _was scrawled across the front in black ink. I flipped it over with much confusion as I broke the seal and began to read the letter:

_Mon cher Marius: _

_ Since you are reading this, you know that I am dead. Don't worry; I did not expect to walk away from that barricade alive. It's okay, though, because you were there, I know it. If you died there too and this is someone else reading this, then it is not relevant. I almost don't want you to know this so maybe it would be better if you were dead because you most likely do not wish to hear this. But you must. It would be wrong not to tell you. You probably think of me a coward for not telling you this in person. Anyway, here it goes. We have a child. Yes Marius, a child. A girl, actually. Do you remember back when we were fifteen and we went to that celebration where everyone was drinking and people got a little too carried away, including us? We woke up the next morning and didn't know what to do so we decided to ignore the fact we slept together, which worked for a little bit, but then I went away for some months. I was pregnant and afraid so I fled away until after the child was born. Those months apart made me realize that I loved you, Marius. But I knew you would never feel the same way as me, and I was right. You have Cosette now so you don't need me, I know. Your world will go on turning even without me. I'm so sorry to do this to you, give you this information, but you needed to know. Her name is Estelle and she lives in an orphanage here in Paris. I would love for you to find her and meet her, tell her I'm sorry for what I have done to her, but it is entirely your decision. Do what you want with this information, but as long as you know I feel a little better. I love you, Marius, and I wish you the best in life with your Cosette. Hopefully as you are reading this, I will be in a better place where there is no more pain. Au Revoir mon amie._

_Je t'embrasse,_

_Eponine _

I sat for what felt like an eternity attempting to comprehend that letter. Could this be true? Could I really have a daughter out there? Could Eponine be her mother? All the facts make sense: the sex, her leaving, everything in that letter was true, but yet I could not believe it. My poor 'Ponine. How could I not have known all of this? And her feelings for me? It was all just too much. I made a vow though, there and then. I would find our Estelle, for Eponine and I would tell her all about the hard, tragic life of her mother. I would explain everything to her and tell her about our lives together and the kind of relationship we had. I just needed to see the part of Eponine that was still left in this world.

"Marius?" I turned my head around at the sound of the sweet voice coming from the girl standing in the doorway. "Are you okay? You've been in there for a while." She looked at me and gave me an encouraging smile.

"Why yes, I am fine. I'm done in here anyway. Let's go home." I held out my arm and Cosette came over to me and helped me walk out of the café that I will most likely never revisit. As I walked out, I shoved the paper into my pocket silently and looked up to the heavens, promising Eponine I would someday meet our daughter. I have a debt to her that I could never repay, but this is a step to trying. I owe her my life.

**I hope you liked it! Please review, I want to know people's opinions and all constructive critism is accepted and valued. Thank you! :)**

**-Charlie**

**Oh by the way, the other chapters will be longer than this one-it was just an introductory chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey again! I hope everyone had a happy new year and that 2013 is freaking amazing! Anyways, here's chapter two! Oh and by the way, the characters look like the ones in the movie because no matter what anyone says about Amanda Seyfried, I think she was a good Cosette. And everyone else was amazing and Eddie Redmayne was frickin gorgeous as Marius and don't even get me started on my love for Samantha Barks...so that is what the characters in this story look like! Enjoy! :)**

Amanlis, January 1848

I sat at my desk, looking out over the winter landscape, simply thinking. I had just finished a case that I had easily won and now I was to enjoy some time off. I put much of my life into my work, trying to keep a good life for me and my family. My darling Cosette worries often about me as I spend many of my days in my office hunched over my papers. Not long after our marriage and the death of her father, a saint and both our saviors, we decided it would be better to get away from everything that resembled our lives and start a new one together out here in the silent countryside of the Brittany region of France.

We had lost that fight and France was once again in uproar, attempting to overthrow King Louis Phillippe and become more liberal. That is always the goal, though. Will the fighting never cease? I had learned from my mistakes and I knew that there was nothing any of these poor workers could do to stop the government. The only result of this new war would be dead comrades and scarred survivors.

Every night, I relived those days at the barricade back when I was young. Seeing Gavroche die before my eyes as he bravely collected more ammunition, shooting across to the trained uniformed National Guard, the blood of the other students splattering everywhere, the ABC Café all blown apart, holding _her_ until she bled out in my arms after saving my life. My hands slipped into the draw of my desk and opened up the secret compartment I saved for only one thing. I hated to look at it, I was ashamed of it. I pulled out the old, wrinkled piece of paper where her confessions were written the day she died. The last words she would ever write. I read it over for the millionth time and sighed. _I'm so sorry 'Ponine. You could have lived if it weren't for me. If only you could have opened your heart to someone else that could love you. I've let you down in every way possible. You deserved better than this._

That poor girl, Estelle. Hopefully there was still time in her most likely miserable life for me to find her. She would be about seventeen or eighteen now. I was filled with guilt and regret. When would I ever be able to fulfill my promise? I really did want to meet her, but I was such a coward. What would I say to her? Would she hate me? I hate me often. Why is it that I am here, sitting in my office with a family alive and healthy and everyone I have ever cared about, except Cosette and my boys, is dead? I know I have only her father to thank for that.

I pushed myself away from the desk and continued to stare out the window. We lived in a beautiful small, rural town and the sight of snow on the barren trees in my backyard helped to ease my mind. I got up and walked over to the fireplace, stoking the flames and heating my hands over them. I was only thirty-three, but sometimes I felt so much older. Outside my office door, I heard the sweet voice of Cosette reading to our two children-Pierre and Charles. Pierre was an intelligent nine-year-old boy with blonde tufts of hair and green eyes. He had flawless white skin like his mother and aspired to be a lawyer, like me. It was so strange to have children, especially ones that looked up to me so. Cosette and I loved them with all our hearts. His younger brother, Charles, was six years old. He had wavy brown locks and large, deep green eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. He was usually found silently trotting behind his older brother, whom he adored. The two were the best of friends.

I was about to let them be and sit back down at my desk, but then I heard the doorbell ring and I opened the door and proceed to walk through the living room and into the front hall. "I will get it." I told my wife as I headed towards the wooden front door. I opened it to two men I did not know. They were both older than me and one had completely white hair. They were dressed similarly in black suits and top hats and wore scarves and gloves to protect from the biting winter winds and snow. "Bonjour." I greeted, "How may I help you?"

The older one answered me, "We are looking for Monsieur Pontmercy."

"I am Monsieur Pontmercy. Please, call me Marius." I still did not know who these men where. Was there some sort of trouble? What did they want?

"Well then Monsieur Marius, may we come in?" He asked and I nodded as Cosette came up behind me holding Charles.

"Is everything okay?" She asked quietly. I really wasn't sure so I just stood closer to her in an attempt to comfort her.

"Why yes Madame Pontmercy, we are here to ask for your husband's help." He answered back as I let them in and we all sat in the living room and Cosette brought us something to drink. Then, they became serious.

"Is it okay if we speak in private, the three of us s'il vous plait?" The other one spoke up as we sipped our coffee. I still didn't know what to do so all I could do was obey their request and lead them into my office. Cosette gave me a worried look and I just had to shake my head and shrug. I would tell her everything later, I would not like to keep a secret from her.

"How may I help you gentlemen?" I asked as we sat once again.

"Let us introduce ourselves," the younger one said. "I am Claude Bouchard and this is my colleague, Jacques Tailler. We are sent here from the government of Paris. As you most likely know, there is talk of rebellion again. The workers of Paris are getting restless with the king. Banquets have been held by the "liberals" ever since July and they are planning another revolution. Few actually support the king, you know. But still, we cannot allow the country to go up in chaos again. It is especially bad because on the fourteenth of this month, the authorities of Paris postponed the banquet at the last second, angering many."

I sat as I took all this information in. I knew of most of this although there was no action going on in my small town. It always comes from Paris. It pained me because I knew exactly how these revolutionaries felt. I felt as if I could do anything. Little did we know that a few students and passionate laborers could not change the entire country's system of government. But something else was tugging at the back of my mind. He said Paris. Estelle lives in Paris. I tried to force the connection out of my head, but my thoughts were getting away from me as so I could not control them. I briefly wondered if she was a part of the rebellion. I then brought myself back to reality and the present. I stood up as I thought, looking out to snow covered yard, so calming and still, unlike my mind and heart. "What are you asking of me?" I asked after a while.

The other one answered my question, "You are a very fine lawyer and studied the law at college. You are also a survivor of the June rebellion of 1832." He stated, "What we would like of you is to come with us to Paris and help these rebels realize that they are going to waste their lives if they fight against the government. We are searching all over France for the finest men best suited to help put Paris back in order and ease any unrest. You will also be paid quite generously for your time." He concluded and they both looked at me expectantly. This was a lot to take in and I did not know what to say. I think, though, I had already made the decision before I was even aware. The answer was always yes.

"What about my wife and children?" I asked, "Would they come?"

They exchanged a glance before he replied, "No Monsieur, they would not come. It would be just you."

I nodded. "And how long would I be there?"

"As long as we need you. This is a huge task, I know, but we chose you for a reason. You are exceptional in persuading people and have a gifted way with words. We are confident that you will be able to do it." He stated and I sighed in confusion.

"When would we be leaving?" I asked, knowing the answer was not one I would like.

"Tomorrow, Monsieur." His partner spoke, giving me a sympathetic look. I felt guilty that my mind was not in conflict. It had already decided as soon as he said Paris.

"We can give you more time to think if you wish. You may come visit us at le Jardin Inn anytime from now until tomorrow afternoon with your decision." They began to stand up.

"No." I said, not thinking yet the words were pouring out of my mouth. "No need. I am going to do it. I'll go with you to Paris."

They exchanged confused glances before looking back at me skeptically, but asked nothing of my rash decision. "Very well then, we will see you tomorrow at one o'clock to pick you up." Monsieur Tailler said as they picked up their hats and I walked them out the door. "Au revoir and we thank you very much for your cooperation." I nodded farewell before closing the front door behind them.

Cosette had come up behind me after sending the children upstairs. The thought of what my daughter was like drifted into my brain. Would she get along with the two sons I had? The thought of having a daughter was something I could not wrap my mind around. Especially the fact that not only was half of her me, but the other half was Eponine. I wondered if she looked like her. I hoped so because Eponine was beautiful.

"Marius, my dear, is everything okay? What has happened? What did those men want?" Cosette's voice brought me out of my mind and back to reality. How was I to explain all this to her? That letter is the only secret I've ever kept from her, as well as the biggest and I felt terrible hiding it from her. I just couldn't tell her, though. This was between Eponine and I, and it happened years before I had ever met her.

"I'm terribly sorry Cosette, but I must leave for Paris tomorrow."

Her face looked confused and shocked. Of course she was, I would not blame her if she was angry with me, but I prayed to God she wouldn't be. I couldn't stand to see her upset. "But what do you mean you are leaving? Why are you going? Are you not taking the boys and me? I am very confused."

So I told her everything Monsieur Bouchard and Tailler had said to me and that I had decided to go, but I did not explain why. I didn't know how to.

She took everything in calmly and waited a minute before forming a response, "But Marius why did you make such a sudden decision? Why did you not consult with me first?" She looked slightly hurt and I immediately rushed forward to embrace her and comfort her.

"Oh Cosette, I am so sorry I did not speak with you first before making the decision, but you must understand, my dear, that I love you. And I have always loved you ever since we first laid eyes on each other. But I must go. I must do this and I have a duty I must fulfill. Can you live with that? I do not like to see you so sad. I will stay for you if that is what you wish." I stared into her large green eyes and she shook her head.

"No, I wish for you to do what you feel is best. If you want to go to Paris, then I will not stop you from leaving as I will not stop loving you. If that is what you must do, then go." As she spoke, a few tears began to fall from her eyes. What a delicate, wonderful thing she was.

I quickly kissed her tears away. "Come with me, my love, and let us go upstairs so our family can spend the rest of our time together happily. I will return, you know. Hopefully it will be quick and I can see you and our wonderful children again." I smiled at her as I took her hand and led her upstairs, calling the names of our children out loud, but saying the name of my other child over and over in my mind the whole time.

**That's it for now! Please review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay you guys here is chapter three! This one is in the point of view of Estelle. Enjoy! :)**

Paris, January 1848

I strode through the frozen street as quickly as possible, determined to each my destination before my fingers froze off. The only thing keeping my blood flowing was the rage that boiled inside of my body. I still could not stand the complete _idiots baise _that ran this country. My stomach rumbled for I had not eaten anything but stale bread since yesterday morning. Everyone felt the sting of hunger as the economy of France crashed and all the rich refused to help us poor working class. We wanted a change, and we were willing to fight for it. They had postponed our last banquet where us leaders of the revolt would always meet and discuss plans for a revolution. Our next banquet was scheduled for February 22, but we had ways of meeting before then. Different sections of Paris would meet with each other separately and discuss until we could all meet up together at the banquets. That was what I was doing on this cold January morning. I was on my way to rally the workers of my section to revolution.

I pulled my dirty shawl closer around my body, for all I had was a short sleeve dress underneath it. The wind blew and I figured it must have reached freezing because snow was beginning to lightly dust the street. My shoes were too small and my sock had holes, allowing for many blisters and calluses to form on my feet, but I was just grateful to have something covering them. Our meeting places changed each time we met, and today we gathered in the basement of the restaurant I worked at. Not many people were out on the street this morning because of the cold and a few carriages passed me along the road. Each one I glared at, hoping they would see me, the wretched of the Earth. A starving beggar. I would hope those rich, selfish gentlemen and women could see me and know that I am walking out here in the cold staving with barely any clothes on, plotting a way to make us equals. Those officers of Paris laugh at us and tell us we stand no chance, that we have no voice. They try to tell us to stand down and discourage our meetings, but the flame of hope and the values of liberté, égalité, et fraternité that people began fighting for back in 1789, will never die. For as long as there is a barrier between the rich and the poor, the fighting will never cease.

I reached the dirty, run down building and snuck in the back door. I descended down the small staircase and entered the room below it. I was relieved to see that there was a fire burning, warming the entire room and I took off to sit by it before anything else. There were about ten people gathered here already and I looked around as I greeted my friends. The first one to look over at me was Coltaire, I probably interrupted one of his grand, loud political arguments or speeches, but I really couldn't care because he was always going on booming rants. I have to say, he was quite the public speaker and rallier, though. I winked at his shocked, disgruntled pale face as his solid blue eyes met my more playful brown ones.

Then I was greeted by Aceline, who sat to my right in front of the fire. She wore one of her ridiculous large hats and her blonde hair flowing about her underneath it was neatly curled. Her dress was a blue one and her coat made of fur. Much too extravagant to be sitting here with us, but everything she did for our cause was for her love, and soon to be husband. I believe that we, and the cause, have grown on her, but she hates to admit it.

"Mademoiselle!" She exclaimed, "You are going to freeze to death one of these days and it will be all these men's fault. They have no feelings for us women, in fact I do believe they might be in love with one another, fighting this ridiculous battle we have no hope in winning! Just listening to that boy makes me realize how much sense I have in my brain. If only you, sweetheart, could see that as well and not hang around these fools." She finished as I scoffed at her.

"Oh Aceline, you know that you come to every one of these meetings because you love it, not just because this is what Odilon believes in." She just huffed and we both looked towards her husband who was bent over maps and books. Odilon and Aceline both came from money, but after visiting the slums of Paris once, he realized that people like me, and most of us here needed a change and for the injustices of the working class to stop. He left his home and his future job to help us fight and Aceline came along with him. His face was etched with intelligent thought as he highlighted words in a book and ran a hand through his curly brown hair. That boy was quite the handsome one and Aceline was lucky to have a man like him who could be so fully dedicated to both her and our fight.

Next to him was the other smartest of our group, Rainier. He was the cousin of Odilon and was of the lower bourgeois in Paris. The two young men looked very similar with their dark hair and gray-blue eyes. Rainier was different than Odilon, though, not being as wealthy. He spent his money not on nice clothes or houses for his love, but on his education and charity. He was a gentler, more intellectual man and a wonderful speaker. Where Cloraire was loud and booming, Rainier was softer and sweeter.

Manon then came down the stars from the restaurant carrying a plate of food. She and I were the most similar out of the four girls in our group. Like me, she was strictly in this for the cause and did not care what happened to her or how lady-like she was. She hurried over when she saw me and offered me some food I desperately needed before placing the rest on the table for others. I took her in as I quickly gulped down the unknown scraps of food. Her light brown hair was dirty and snarly as her clothes looked unwashed and she wore no shoes. Her family lived off factory wages in poverty, but she still kept her spirits high and was motivated solely by the revolution. It was all she ever thought about and that is why I appreciated her so.

Gervais, Elliot and Ignace sat at the table that Clotaire was standing at the head of. Gervais was a large boy who scared many people, including me at times. He was dangerous and slightly off, but very skilled with weapons, making him a perfect ally to have if there was to be a rebellion. He has been teaching us some simple skills, but we do not catch on as easily as him. Elliot was very opposite of Gervais in that he was a devout Christian. The red-haired boy was very kind and good. He joined with us because of his compassion for the poor and his desire for change. He may not agree with everything we do or say, but he is good enough to keep his mouth quiet and listen to us. He is always thanking the Lord and praying to God, but sometimes I find it hard to believe there is anyone looking over us. If this God was as great as Elliot seems to think he is, then why do people live in such poverty and suffer so much every day. I like Elliot, though, and I know he would stand by our side through anything. Ignace was an odd one out. He did not come from money and he was from a large, working family. He had practically no schooling and was extremely unintelligent. Most of the time, he listened blindly to us and just knew he was fighting for a better life, well most of the time he understood that. The poor boy often asked absurd questions and did not know what was going on.

Zoe was the fourth girl in our group and the newest addition. She was a pretty little thing with her tiny body, long healthy brown hair, and green eyes with freckles. Her family was wealthier than many families that gathered here, but she joined the cause to help. She did not wish for fighting or to see people die, but she wanted to help us. She was trained since a young age in healing and nursing, so that is what she wished to do in our life.

He was the last one I took account of. The co-leader of our band of rebels and le fléau de mon existence. Colar Mynatt. He was a great leader and passionate rebel. He spoke with the other boys around the room and I watched him walk, his messy brown hair that he always ruffled when stressed atop his soot-smudged face that was set straight and determined I knew so well. Those deep, dark blue eyes always sparkled with the glint of hope for a better tomorrow and he carried himself with a confident air that competed with my own, which always annoyed me to no end. His clothing was simple as was mine and he looked tired. I wondered how early he was up this morning. Our eyes met and rolled his at the sight of me. I just made a ridiculous face back at him. "I'm glad to see you finally made it. Did you just wake up?" He asked, looking at me expectantly; ready to scold me when I said yes.

Too bad I knew right where to hit him so he would leave me alone. We each had one weak spot when it came to each other, other than that it was constant bickering and harassing. "I was working late." I replied back, staring him in the eyes. It was true after all and I knew he hated when I did it, but what did he expect? How else can someone like me make money other than the low paying measly job I had at the restaurant?

His blue eyes flickered for a minute, but then returned back to normal as quick as possible. "Okay." He said in a low voice as the others watched us, the room silenced. They did not know what we meant by this and I would rather not have them know as they look to me as their leader. How would they react if they knew I was a scum of the street whore? Well, they all knew the first part about me. He then looked back over everyone else, "Well then, carry on." He reassured as he walked up to me. "What time did you get in?" He asked.

I just shrugged, not really remembering too well. "I don't know, sometime after midnight." I replied as he sighed.

"I told you I don't like it when you do that. How many times have I told you not to?" His face came closer to mine, his eyes burning with rage, "Nobody should ever have to succumb to that, not even you, Estee."

I laughed bitterly. "Well how else am I going to pay the rent? We all know that you can't cover it for me. Besides, it's easy money and can pay quite well, if you are able to put up with some of their requests. It's simply-"

"Okay, enough. What time are you going to be home tonight? Are you receiving any customers tonight?" He asked.

"No, not tonight. I shall be home after my normal shift, around nine." I answered. Now, I think I should just clarify that I do live with Colar. It is just us in a little tenement with two beds. It is quite humorous really, that I live with the one person I hate, no, _loathe_ the most. And he feels just the same towards me. He is eighteen years old, and I will be the same age in a matter of months. I did make up my birthday because I have no idea when it is. Colar constantly teases me and harasses me about making up my own birthday. He calls it foolish, but I think that he has no right to comment on my life. I do not have a family, and neither does he, but for different reasons. I was placed in an orphanage as a baby and lived there until I was thrown out at the age of sixteen for acts of rebellion as that was around the same time I joined the revolution. He was a young revolutionary who was disowned by his family who supported the king and they sent him off with some money to find a new life. He had just bought the place, but needed help paying the rent and I needed a place to live, so unfortunately we were forced to share the same home.

Manon and I joined the boys back at the table as we talked of plans for the next banquet, when the door swung open and a blast of freezing air and snowflakes poured in. "Woooo! Il fait tres froid out there!" A rough voice belonging to a young man drifted into the room as we all looked up. In walked the person belonging to that voice, his thick dirty blonde hair sticking out in all directions and his face covered with dirt. His light brown eyes had tears from the cold and he walked with a stagger, which was explained by the bottle of cheap liquor in his hand. His skinny body flopped over to me as he plopped himself down in the empty seat. "Bonjour mes amis!" He called with a huge grin on his face as we all returned it, entertained by his antics. "How ya doing sweeeeeteaaaart?" He propped his face on his hands next to me, elbows on the wooden table. His breath smelled absolutely horrid.

"Charming." I smiled sarcastically, but he obviously didn't hear the tone in my voice as he patted my head heavily and grinned, a few of his teeth missing.

"Really Felix?" Manon, on the opposite side of me asked, "Really?"

"So, what is today's plan?" He asked, pretending to suddenly sober up.

Clotaire began again. "Well, you see, gentlemen, what we are going to-"

Felix could just not seem to contain himself, though, as he began to laugh uncontrollably just as Clotaire was speaking, which did not go over well with the blue eyed boy who _hated _being interrupted. His eye twitched and as he was about to ignore it and continue, Felix had to go and give him the middle finger. All Hell broke loose as Clotaire lunged across the table at our drunken comrade and Manon screamed as they landed in Ignace's lap. Elliot, wanting to avoid a fight, jumped back, knocking his chair over as it plowed into Odilon who was rushing over to break up the fight. In the meantime, _fou_ Gervais took the liberty in punching Felix in the eye. As the others came over, all screaming and shouting-the shrieks of Aceline heard above them all-I could not help but let laughter escape from my lips. This was a complete and utter madhouse _catastrophe._ Colar, however, did not find this amusing.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked, astonished. "This is madness! Here we are trying to fight a war to show we are civilized people, and we are fighting each other just because we cannot take turns speaking? And you find this _funny?_"

He was fuming now, and I had to shout over the fights of our fellow revolutionaries. "What? Do you not realize this is my whole life? Do you not think I take this seriously? For God's sake Colar, this is all I have! Of course this is not something to take lightly, but look at these fools! I want more than anything to make a change in the world, but how can we when we cannot even get along with each other! You must control them better!"

"Ha!" he exclaimed, _"I _need to control them? You have as much a responsibility as me in this!"

"Well look at them," I shouted back, "It was the men who started this, if only I was given complete control this would turn out better. But no, you let your men turn this place over to the dogs!"

"My men?" He snorted, "Look at your "women" we have here. One is only here because she wants her boyfriend's money, the other is but a weakling who cannot fight, and Manon is a less controlled version of you! And you are most certainly _not _something anyone should want to be any version of!"

I scoffed at his insults, "Listen here, I'm not the one who got myself into this mess. I was born a street rat, unloved and incapable of doing anything. You gave up your king-loving life to come live on the streets like me! You abandoned your own _family_."

"I abandoned my own family to die fighting for rights of you!"

I took a step back, realizing what he just said, because it was all true. As I silently took our fight in, I realized the fighting around us had calmed down. He was right, not like I was about to admit it. Instead of giving him that pleasure, I stepped up before he could.

I hitched up my dress and stepped onto the table. "Listen, you lowly beggars!" I started, picking and stating each word so that it hit them in the heart, making them feel something. "You scum of the street, idiots with your money, loveless orphans, you brainless fools, you mouse-hearted intellects. You drunks! What are we all doing? Why fight amongst each other? We aren't the enemy! The enemy is out there! He puts us down, gives us no voice, he degrades us and regards us as no more than pebbles on the street. When really, we make up most of France. We are the workers, without us, they would have _nothing_. And in return, they give us exactly that. What happened to the principles of the original revolution, way back in 1789? Liberté, égalité, et fraternité! Liberty, equality, and fraternity. Why have we still not reached it? Why are men still not equal? Tell me why! The Third French Revolution is upon us! It is here! And we, the laborers of Paris will show them who we are. We will show them what freedom is! And we will fight. And we will die if we must. But we musn't give up! Because if we do, then who will the people have to guide them? To show them that this Hell we are living is not acceptable? You must never forget that. We are but pebbles in the ocean, making small ripples that will then turn into waves. Powerful waves of freedom! And they will come crashing down on all those who try to put us down, who try to defeat us! We can fight! And we will fight! Why? Because we deserve it! Now who's with me? Say oui! _Dis oui!_" I shouted.

The once silent room now erupted into shouts of "Oui! Oui!" And "Vive la France!"

I looked around the room, filled with my riled up friends. There was no doubt in my mind they would fight for our rights and I knew I could count on them. I looked over and found Colar looking at me quizzically, an eyebrow raised. I would deal with him later. For now, we needed to plan our attack. Literally.

**So, what did you think? This one was a little longer, so I hope you enjoyed it. Also, let me know if I should do more chapters in her POV or if I should just stick with Marius. And I would just like to thank all those who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted my story. That really means so much to me thanks! Big shout out to all of ya! Please review and tell me what ya think! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey sorry it took so long to update, but here it finally is! Wow with exams coming up, school has really been kicking my butt lately! I would just like to take the time to thank everyone who has alerted, favorited, read, and reviewed this story. It really means so much! And to my reviewers, a huge thanks for your feedback and I love that you put your ideas about what you want to happen because it really helps and inspires me! I love you all and enjoy this chapter:**

Paris, February 1848

The carriage finally reached Paris, the first time I had been there in so many years. I was getting quite nervous about the whole ordeal and one of my hands was inside my coat pocket, playing with the letter that Eponine had written me. The one that forever changed how I looked at myself and how I thought about her in the last few years of her life. It made me quite nervous, and I felt even worse keeping it from Cosette, but I just couldn't tell her. Not yet anyway. I prayed that my problems would be resolved here in Paris where she lived in that orphanage. I did not know anything about the orphanages in Paris, but there couldn't be too many and I could simply ask someone. I sighed and leaned back in my seat of the carriage, not sure what to think anymore. We would be arriving at my hotel soon, a grand place located not too far away from the palace of the king and his beautiful Tuileries Gardens were a short walk away. I looked out at the sights of the city I had spent much time trying to forget. I knew exactly where we were and I realized that I was not far from where I had fought at the barricades. I was still filled with despair as I thought about my youth and all my friends.

Oh Eponine, she was my best childhood friend and I loved her so much, but it was a different love than Cosette. Eponine and I were too close for me to feel that way towards her. I knew everything about her and she knew everything about me. I just wish I could have told her how much she meant to me and not only speak to her unless it was about Cosette at the end. I wished for a moment that I could hold her living, breathing beautiful body again. I felt heat crawl up the back of my neck as I thought about her body. We were quite intoxicated that night on the eve after the establishment of the constitutional monarchy back in 1830. Little did we know that would not solve all our problems and _we_ would one day be on the battlefield.

The streets were filled with celebrations and people let loose after the three days of fighting. I did not know how we ended up in the upstairs of an inn together, but as drunk as I was, I remember her. She was my first time although her father had pushed her to lose her virginity to men for money at the age of fourteen, not long after their inn collapsed. Dear God, she was beautiful, even back then and through the mess of the party and liquor, we connected, not merely having sex, but making love. Of course she was not as careful with me as she was with her customers and neither of us even thought of any consequences. But there were consequences, and I had gotten her pregnant, condemning our poor daughter to whatever miserable life she was most likely living here in Paris. _Our daughter_. Estelle. Even after all these years, that still didn't feel as if it could be true, as if it was just all a dream. But it was as real as Eponine was.

The carriage stopped and then my door opened. "Monsieur," the driver greeted me, "Welcome to l' Hôtel Meurice." I straightened up and stepped out into the winter day. I had been traveling since early this morning and it was now midafternoon. The place in front of me was quite grand and I looked up to where it seemed go on forever. I knew this place was only saved for the greatest people, so I began to fully understand the magnitude of what I was doing here. I had to stop these rebellious children from revolting into the streets, driven by a few grand speeches and thoughts of being invincible, just as I had once done. I briefly wondered who else had been recruited to carry out this job as I was led inside to the open spaced front lobby. It was elaborate and bright, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and everything was made of delicate crystal. Gentlemen and ladies strolled in and out with their fur coats and top hats as I followed my driver and fellow traveler, a small man by the name of Monsieur Segal, to the front desk.

A sharp-looking man with a black moustache and glasses sat waiting for us to check in. "Bonjour," He greeted, "bienvenu a l'Hôtel Meurice. How may I help you gentlemen this afternoon?"

"This is Monsieur Marius Pontmery. He is one of the employees for Bouchard and Tailler and there is a room reserved for him on the seventh floor along with the others." Segal announced. I had not been surrounded by such a high class atmosphere since I was young and I had forgotten all about it. The man at the desk checked his records before nodding and handing me a key. He then bid me a good day and told to ask if I needed anything at all. "Shall we go then?" Segal addressed me. In the meantime, the bell boy was hurrying out to the carriage to get my belongings before the valet took it away.

We walked over to the massive marble staircase that turned and traveled up to each floor-mine being the very top. After our long journey together, I had become quite fond of Segal, he was a good man and I was glad I had him to travel with. When we finally reached the top, we strode down the carpeted hallway and passed each wooden door with intricate carvings in each doorframe. We reached room 148 and Segal let me in before handing the key over to me. Inside was a large room with a bed, desk and chair, sofa, and door leading to the bathroom. I looked out to the glass doors that led out to the balcony and saw that my room overlooked the gorgeous Tuileries gardens.

"Well, Monsieur Marius, I'm afraid this is where we part." Segal said to me as he stood in the doorway.

"So soon?" I asked him, not wanting him to go for at least he was a familiar face among this city that had become a stranger to me.

He nodded, "I must go now; my job here is done. Your bosses will pay a visit later and be sure you are ready for your work that begins tomorrow. It has been a pleasure journeying with you and I wish you all the best of luck in your job here. Au revoir." He bowed as I sadly thanked him and bid him farewell too. He closed the door behind him and I was left alone with my thoughts.

Sighing, I sat on the soft bed and stared out at the window, allowing myself to prepare for what I was about to face. I knew I was here for a serious and pressing job, but I just couldn't focus on that knowing that I was so close to fulfilling a promise I made to myself- and Eponine, and Estelle. Thoughts of doubt began to trickle into my mind and I worried about what I might discover here. What if she wasn't at the orphanage? She could have been adopted, but I knew that was very highly unlikely. What if something happened to the orphanage and it no longer existed? What if she did not survive all these years? The weight of these thoughts crushed me and I knew that I had to shake them off so I stood up and began unpacking.

It was later that evening that I heard a knock at my door and opened it to the familiar faces of Bouchard and Tailler. They were accompanied by another man who was a little older than myself. He wore an expensive navy jacket and had a very clean appearance and a tight smile on his thin lips. His eyes were a dark blue color and complexion pale. His black hair was neatly styled and I found myself slightly inferior to this man with my still boyish looks including my freckles. "Good evening monsieurs." I greeted as I let them in and we all sat.

"Good evening Marius, I trust you had a good trip here? Segal is a good man and excellent with the carriage." Bouchard began as I nodded and agreed.

"Excellent, so let's get to business then now that we are settled. First, we would like to introduce you to Monsieur Delroy Fortier who will be one of the men working alongside you on this operation," he began.

"Bonjour Monsieur Delroy" I greeted as we shook hands.

After a brief pause, Bouchard explained who he was. "Delroy is trained in weaponry and militaristic tactics. He was part of the July Revolution in 1830 here in Paris. He, like you, fought among the rebels only to realize that all those lives were lost for nothing then turned his attention to preserving peace and order in France to prevent more rebellions." Delroy nodded in agreement a stone cold face and I studied the man who I had once considered one of the heroes. I suppressed a bitter laugh, because, in a way, he was a reason for me being in Paris since the night they won Estelle was created.

"That is correct, Monsieur Bouchard," Delroy then spoke, "I was one of the rebels who thought I could change France, and unlike your rebellion, mine was successful."

I was slightly taken aback by this man, but he ignored the look I gave him and continued speaking, "I was there at the capturing of the Hôtel de Ville, and it was a glorious day for us survivors but there were not many of us left to share the victory with since many of my friends were dead. We created the constitutional monarchy, but as you can see, our efforts were wasted for now that government I had fought to create is on the verge of being overthrown in a violent rebellion. I have been here for almost a week now and I have been in the streets and talked to these hopeful citizens and I have come to a conclusion that if we do not act soon the people will revolt. And I strongly believe we must stop that at all costs." I could not help but to just stare at him when he was finished with his little speech. Yes, I agreed he was right, but I also did not know any of these people who were leading this rebellion and there was a small inkling in my mind, not present in my colleague's, that sympathized with the people of France. Once again, Eponine came back to my mind as I remembered the kind of world she lived in and how I fought to change that for her and people like her.

It was best not to say my thoughts in this situation so I nodded and Bouchard began to speak once again. "I'm not sure how much you know of this revolution, but you had best read this," He began as Tailler pulled a book out of his coat. I recognized the cover. _L'Organisation du travail _by Louis Blanc. I had never read the whole thing, but I knew of that essay on the treatment of workers and his proposal of social workshops. "This is their bible and his other works the rules of life to live by. They call themselves socialists and claim equality for workers. 'From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.'" He quoted as I flipped through the essay. "What we want you to do for now is to go out into the city, get to know these people and their ways. Be careful though, because they know exactly who you are and why you are here. Then, you must get them to back down from this ridiculous fight. Say and do whatever you must, but that is your mission. We will have more meetings discussing our progress and steps to take as time goes on and more people join us. Are you ready for this?" He asked me and I looked him in his brown eyes and nodded.

"Oui, Monsieur." I answered.

"Excellent." He stood up, "You will begin tomorrow morning then and we will see you later in the evening. If you need any help at all or have any questions, please just ask us. Bon soir." I shook their hands as they exited the room leaving me alone once again. The prospect of what tomorrow would bring both excited me and made me nervous.

The next morning, I left the hotel early, anxious to begin my work and learn about what was going on. I had read some of Blanc's essay and learned more about what these rebels are trying to get done. They believed that many of our social ills all came from competition in economics and looked to the government to give everyone the equal right to work and equal amount of benefits, as needed. Blanc proposed these "social workshops" that workers could own, after given to by the state, and all work together to make profit then repay the government loans back once they make a profit. I thought of his works quite bold, yet most likely impossible. The workers believed in this wholeheartedly and wished for a world like this. And they had nothing to lose by fighting for this. That is why the government was so afraid of them. The most dangerous enemy is the one that has nothing to lose. Blanc also was the editor of _Revue de progres _and I made a note to look for an issue of the journal if I saw anyone selling it.

I found it all quite intriguing and I wanted to learn more, I was always an intellectual at heart. I left the hotel and began to walk down the cobblestone streets of Paris. Without a real destination in mind, I followed the maze of the twisting and turning narrow streets filled with people. Paris really hadn't changed too much and dirty beggars still sat on the sidewalks with their crying children and dirty rags as their only protection in the winter cold. It was so sad to see these people and I wanted to help every one of them, but I knew it was impossible to do so. Carriages would go by, vendors sat at the street corner selling the paper and other odds and ends, others walked right through the streets advertising their products, and shoppers and workers bustled around, trying to keep warm as they darted from store to store. I was fortunate to have a nice jacket and scarf, but I felt sorry for those who did not. As I continued to walk, I noticed people began to gravitate to one certain street. I followed them curiously, wondering what could be going on.

As I reached the forming crowd, I noticed what was going on. There was a boy, probably in his late teens, standing on a small stack of wooden boxes, but above the heads of the crowd. He was a young man with a mop of brown hair on his head and fiery blue eyes. His face was smudged with soot and he looked on the thin side, but his whole being was lit up in excitement. He waved his hands around in the air with emotion and I noticed his gray gloves were too small because he had to cut the fingertips off them. In the crowd, about four other people his age thrust papers at everyone and a boy with brown curly hair bumped into me, shoving one at me and shouted "vive la République française!" before moving on.

I glanced down and saw I was in fact handed an article written by Louis Blanc. I realized this is what I had been looking for all day and it was exciting. I listened to the boy for a few moments as he spoke of the banquet that was unfairly canceled in January and the next one scheduled for February 22. "We will meet and toast to liberty, equality, and fraternity! And we will make progress for us workers who are seen as being less important than the dirt on King Louis Philippe and the Orleanists' shoes! They are his only supporters; even many of bourgeoisies are beginning to turn from him and his selfish ways! Most of them cannot even vote anymore. Now is the time to attack and put them down!" I looked around and saw that the crowd was beginning to eat this up, their eyes full of passion and their faces intently facing the boy. Just as I was beginning to be entranced by his speech, a gunshot rang in the air, startling the crowd, myself included. What was going on? I looked all around me and saw that nobody had gotten hurt so I turned my attention back to the speaker who was not frightened at all, but was merely staring behind all of us, his face tight with anger and defiance.

I heard a woman whispering to her children next to me as the crowd began to break, seeing what was behind us. I turned and saw three men in uniform of the king. One of them I recognized as the man I met last night, Delroy Fortier. He stood next to the man who had shot the gun and still held it up in the air as the other rushed forward to grab the boy before he could retreat like his friends did. I saw the others dash in the nearest alleyway and knew they were hiding, yet watching the whole thing. The boy struggled at the grip of the stronger, larger man who grabbed him by the collar and held him close to his face. His own sword was out and dangerously close to the boy's neck. I realized that this encounter had been repeated a number of times before.

"Marius!" Delroy's voice was almost cheerful, and friendly. I was shocked and did not know what to say.

"Bonjour Delroy." I greeted back.

"I'm glad to see you out here this morning, I hope your first day is going well and what great timing you have being here to see what happens when rebels don't behave." His tone grew darker at the end as he addressed the young man.

His partner seemed a little unhinged and less sensible than Delroy and I found myself getting nervous for the poor boy who had stopped struggling and just glared us all down with his strong blue eyes. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The man sneered in his face, "Trying to start another riot here are we? And this time it looks as if you're all alone today. Where are your little pathetic friends? I have to say, you are the bravest one of the sorry bunch. Except for your other ring leader. Where's your girlfriend at boy? Odd she's not here today. Did she finally catch cholera and die?" He growled, bringing the sword and his face closer to the boy's. "What's her name again? Essie? Is that what you call her?"

The boy opened his mouth to reply angrily, but Delroy spoke up first in his defense. "That's enough Raoul! I think our friend here as learned his lesson…once again." He spoke in a threatening tone, but requested the boy be let go.

As the other man put his sword away, Delroy addressed me again, "You see Marius, it is our job to warn these street rats that they better back off or pay the consequences. We do not need to kill anyone. Yet." He spoke in a slow deep voice as the boy finally acknowledged my presence. As we briefly made eye contact, I swore I saw his hard stare falter for a moment and his gaze was filled with curiosity and shock. Then, it quickly switched back and his shaken look vanished.

He was released, "We will never back off." He spat before sprinting off after his friends. I just watched them run off into the distance together, wondering where they were headed and what they were up to.

**Welp! Thats all for now folks and ya this chapter was basically giving more of a background and setting up for big events! I hope you liked it and please keep the super reviews going because I want to know what you want to happen! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow this chapter took longer than I had hoped to put up, but I had the flu and literally could not function for a while there. I got this chapter done, though so I'm sorry if its not as great as you hoped seeing as I was out of it for a majority of it haha! Well, here you go!**

_Marius_

Later that afternoon, I sat with Delroy and the other men assigned to this project around a table in a local tavern. They laughed at the idea of a revolution and the rebellious workers we found in the street today. They spoke of sticking to the law and not letting them start a pointless revolution. Apparently there were many different groups that met around the city and this one they had been observing lately. They made jokes about each one and made stories about their pathetic lives. One would say "I bet that boy who leads them and the girl are sleeping together."

Another would but in, "No, they clearly hate each other! They can't go five minutes without attempting to murder each other! Although, I did hear they live together."

"Ha really? That would not surprise me. They claim to hate each other, but it is simply a front. They are really screwing each other, trust me."

They would all laugh before moving on to make fun of others, "How about the dumb one who doesn't even know what he is fighting for?"

"Or the sloppy drunk?"

"And the ridiculous rich girl who follows her boyfriend around like a lost dog?"

I attempted to follow their conversation without much luck, but I did learn some more about this odd group of revolutionaries that I was to get to stop fighting.

"Oh Marius," The man, Emerson, who sat next to me poured a glass of beer for me, "You will see what you've gotten yourself into in due time. You will learn and see what we are fighting against. It is an honor to serve your country in such a way as this. Let us propose a toast. To our new comrade, to our king, and to our country." He called and they all raised their glasses and I joined in, getting caught up in the excitement of it all. These men had accepted me, welcomed me here. They were just as passionate as the rebels. They would do anything to crush this revolution. I joined my new friends in conversation and drink until the night. There was a part of me, though, that could not share their desire and need for destroying this revolution. I couldn't explain it, but there was a small part of me that sympathized with them. Many of these men used to be just like me and just like them. What had happened to them?

It was after dark when we finally left and decided to walk back to our hotel. Slightly intoxicated, the cool air felt excellent that evening as we walked side-by-side on the icy sidewalk. The city lights shone bright and the river glistened under the new streetlamps. As I walked beside my new friends, I remembered something and figured it was okay to bring it up. "Emerson," I addressed the man next to me, "this may sound like a strange question, but are there any orphanages around here?"

"Hm…" His face scrunched up in thought, "Actually, I believe there is. Yes, I've walked by it before. Only one in Paris, actually."

I felt hope rise in my chest and my spirits soared so high I was practically giddy. "Really monsieur? Where is this orphanage?"

He seemed quite confused, but answered my question anyway, "Why it's just across the Seine on the rue Sainte-Marguerite. Why? What are you up to?" He eyed me, searching for answers. Of course it was a silly question and I wasn't sure how to answer him. Thankfully, another of our friends, Denis, came up from behind us and threw his arms around our shoulders. He had much more to drink than me.

"Bonjour garcons!" He slurred, "What a beautiful night, ain't it?" Emerson laughed. Not thinking clearly, I grinned at their excited energy. These men found this job fun. They were still merely schoolboys with guns, not the serious men they pretend to be during the day while under the careful watch of our employers. The idea both made me laugh and unnerved me.

"Look!" Someone shouted. I looked up to see that we were practically back at the hotel and its bright lights shone in the night. I realized how tired I was and retired to my room as soon as we were back on the seventh floor. I knew what I was going to do the next day and I would need to be well prepared for that.

* * *

I reached the rue Sainte-Marguerite mid-morning the next day in search of my daughter. After all these years, I was finally so close to meeting her. I attempted to prepare what I would say to her, but I just could not think of what I could say. I would have to see her to know what to say. Even then, I will most likely not know how to face her. What would she think of me? I walked quickly and full of anticipation.

Rue Sainte-Marguerite was a narrow street of Paris, and was on la Rive Gouche. This section of Paris was rather foreign to me, living most of my life on la Rive Droite and only occasionally coming here. This particular street was a gray, poor street with run-down buildings and broken sidewalks filled with beggars. A sense of poverty was apparent on this little street that I felt worse about myself allowing my own child to live here for this long. My heart ached when I thought about Pierre or Charles ever having to experience a place like this. I could tell that the dull eyes of many people bore into my back as I was probably the most clothed person walking about. I pulled my coat tighter to my body and shifted uncomfortably. It was obvious I did not belong here.

I really did not know exactly where I was going, and wondered if I should dare to ask someone. I noticed a tired young woman with three little children clinging to her as she exited a store. She wore short sleeves and her children in oversized jackets-meaning she gave up her clothes to keep them warm. Her long, greasy blonde hair stuck out and blew around her from underneath her bonnet. Taking pity on her and needing directions, I pulled out a few coins and approached her. She looked shocked and frightened, pulling her children near as I approached. Her pale blue eyes watched me wearily, but she was in no position to react. "Bonjour Madame." I greeted quietly and gently, but her jaw tightened up at my greeting. She did not say anything so I continued. "I was just wondering if you could point me in the right direction. I am looking for the orphanage." I showed her my coins, "I will pay you for your directions, Madame, this means very much to me." I explained as she seemed to loosen up a little.

She spoke in a very quiet, hoarse voice and lifted a fragile, pale finger, "Continue down this road for three more blocks and it is on your right." She replied.

"Merci beaucoup, Madame." I thanked her and gave her my money. She nodded graciously, obviously needing it desperately. "Good luck."

"Good luck yourself, generous monsieur." She whispered back before hurrying away with her babies. I watched her go before straightening up and continuing along on my mission.

It did not take me too long to reach the orphanage and I was shocked by its condition. It was a three story building with cracked windows and broken shutters. The building was made of gray stone that was beginning to chip away and the front steps starting to crumble. No light shone from it and the place seemed almost dead. I feared for the condition I would find my poor Estelle in. Not wasting time worrying, I marched up the front steps and used the brass knocker on the wooden door. The sound of my knocking echoed into the street. I listened and realized I could hear voices loud inside and about a minute later, the door was violently yanked open, spilling all the noise outside.

The woman who answered the door was an older, wrinkled lady with short curly, graying hair. Her face was pulled into a tight frown and she wore a plain black and white outfit. A few dirty little kids poked their curious heads out before she yelled at them and pushed them back violently. "What do you want Monsieur? By the looks of you I'd say you're a little lost." She growled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Taken aback, I did not know what to say to her, "No, Madame, excuse me. I-I am looking for someone. I believe she lives here."

The woman laughed at me, "And who would that be? Just to let you know _Monsieur_ none of our girls are _for sale_. If you know what I mean, which I'm sure you do."

Again, I was shocked and I'm sure my face showed it because she scoffed, "Okay well if that's not why you're here who are you looking for?"

I took a deep breath. This was it. "I am looking for a girl named Estelle."

The woman stared blankly at me for a moment before scrunching her face up in disgust. "Ha! You're here for _Estelle_? Who are you? Who sent you? What did she do now?"

"I-I-uh nobody sent me." I began to stutter, "I just want to see Estelle. She should be about seventeen years old-"

"Yeah. I know who you're talking about." She interrupted me. I almost leapt with excitement as she said that. The woman, on the other hand, did not look as enthusiastic because she continued speaking, "But she's not here anymore."

Suddenly, I felt like I could have collapsed on the spot. All the excitement rushed out of me in that instant those words were spoken. "What do you mean she's not here anymore?" I asked slowly and almost out of breath. I could not believe this was happening. After all these years, I was so close to meeting her and now I felt like it was all a waste. If she wasn't here, I was never going to find her.

"I mean she doesn't live here anymore. Haven't seen her since we had to kick her out almost two years ago. A real shame since she's been here since she was only a few days old and I even met the poor mother who was just a child herself. I'm sorry, but that girl was more trouble than she's worth. What do you want with her anyway? You with the cops?" She looked at me skeptically.

I didn't know how to respond so I just said no, but I needed more information on how I could find her. If she was even still alive. "Please Madame, can you just tell me what happened? It would mean a great deal."

The woman just rolled her eyes, "You know how it's been around here lately. A couple years ago, there was more talk about a revolution beginning to form and of course they are always run by these poor workers and college dropouts, so she along with some others here got caught up in the excitement. She would be gone all day then come home and get all these kids rallied up with talks of rebellion and treason and all this other crazy talk. This is a government run business so I couldn't have her going around talking of government overthrow and constantly causing trouble with the cops while she lived under this roof. Finally, I had enough and I had to get rid of her, so I made her pack her bag and get out. Never saw her again."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair in frustration. That was it, then. Only God would know where she was. "Merci Madame. That is all." I said before bidding her a good-day and turning around to leave.

"Monsieur." She called as I reached the sidewalk, "I don't know what you want with her, but that girl is a tough one. If you really want to find her, I wouldn't give up so easily. I'm sure she's out here somewhere alive. And she probably hasn't gone too far." I just nodded at the woman then walked away as she closed the door. My spirits had been crushed, but if that woman was right, I knew I still had to keep looking.

* * *

_Estelle_

"I'm cold." Mumbled Manon, who sat next to me on the frozen bench in the Luxembourg Gardens.

"Not colder than me." I replied lazily, too cold and weak to care or do anything about our situation.

"Here," Felix, who sat on the other side of Manon, offered us a bottle of liquor, "Have enough of this and you won't feel a thing. The fire of the stuff going down your throat will warm you guys up instantly." We just looked at each other and shrugged before taking a swig each. There was definitely a burning sensation, but it wasn't warming anyone up anytime soon.

"Felix," Elliot, the voice of reason, who sat on the sidewalk in front of us said "Instead of wasting money on useless drinks, why don't you buy them some actual food. Look at them; I could fit my hands around their entire waists. No wonder you are so cold, there's nothing to you!"

Felix's face contorted into what I supposed was pretend thinking, "Hmmm…." He said, "Or, seeing we're all gonna die anyway, I can at least die happy. Besides, who says I actually buy any of my booze?" He snickered as Elliot rolled his eyes.

"You know who I could kill right now?" I asked, not waiting for anyone to guess, "That bastard who calls himself a leader and the other dumb-asses who got caught in the street yesterday."

"Yes," Gervais pitched in, "Notice how I haven't seen them lately."

"God, I hate Colar." I growled, taking another swig of alcohol.

"Trust me, we know." Felix snatched the bottle back angrily, "Who exactly was it anyway?"

"Colar, Rainier, Odilon, Aceline, and Clotaire," Confirmed Gervais. The rest of us nodded and there was a lull in the conversation, we were too helpless and cold to do much else. And we were supposed to be the ones leading this grand revolution. Pathetic.

After a while, Colar and Clotaire showed up. "Well, look who it is." Manon hissed in my ear as they approached. I just glared at Colar for being an idiot.

I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but he put his hands up before I can begin. "Don't you dare say anything about what happened yesterday. We did get caught, but they let us go. In fact, they were just showing off to their new friend. They have an interesting new officer among them." He informed me, like I even cared about their fancy little officers.

"I hate you." I replied. "You're an idiot."

He pretended to sigh in relief, "Okay good, I thought you were going to tell me that I was some amazing sexy person or something."

"Well, you can't be too sexy because I get a lot more action than you!" I snorted, "Although I have to say, what is sexier than a French revolutionary? A soon to be dead one, at that!" I replied and he just rolled his eyes at me.

He and Clotaire sat down, Clotaire informing Elliot and Gervais on the events of yesterday that I had already heard about last night. Colar, on the other hand, wedged himself annoyingly in between Manon and me on the bench. Never would I admit, though, I was glad he did because his body that actually had substance to it warmed me up some more immediately. "Which sculpture is this?" He asked, facing forwards at the fountain in front of our bench.

"That's La Grotte Médicis." Manon stated, as if it was obvious. She was always an admirer of art and once actually lived an entire summer in the gardens. "It was built way back in about 1630 by Marie de' Medici. She was an Italian and widow of Henry IV, as well as mother of King Louis XIII, and based it on a cave she loved back at home in Italy. So beautiful and so old, just like love-timeless and extraordinary." She smiled as she looked out over the work of art, clearly seeing so much more than the rest of us as we gazed at the grotte.

"I heard these Luxembourg Gardens to be very romantic." Colar added. Okay, I suppose I was the only one not seeing the romanticism in all this. "The perfect place to fall in love." He continued.

"Yeah, well I hate this place." I butted in, being the realist here. "I hate art and everything else 'romantic' and 'beautiful'." I'll admit, I was pretty miserable, cold, and tired so I wasn't exactly cheery or in love with life.

"Oh, we all know, you cold-hearted fish." Colar laughed, "I'm just saying that some people find this place romantic that's all."

"Well, that's good for them, but I don't. Now can we please leave and go somewhere warm?" I yawned. "We have more important things to do in life than study art, seeing as we have a revolution upon us and a banquet in a matter of weeks."

"Yes, but where are we going to go?" Clotaire asked, "We can't go back to the restaurant. And where are the others?"

"Well, we have all the books and plans at our place." Colar shrugged, "Why don't we all just go there? We have no heat, but at least we'll be out of the wind and snow."

"It's better than sitting out here." Felix agreed as everyone began to pull their frozen bodies off the bench. I cringed as Colar stood up, exposing me once again to the frigid air. We began to speak more of what life would be once we overthrew the king as we walked along back to our tiny apartment. Everyone's spirits were now lifted with the thoughts of putting a cap on huge capitalists and the formation of labor unions and wage laws. There would be social workshops to help workers make more money and we were distracted from the cold momentarily as we became caught up in the progress we were to make at the banquet. Colar and I were to go and meet with other revolutionary leaders around Paris. We were still extremely angry that the one in January was cancelled, but that wasn't going to stop us. In fact, it was going to make us fight harder.

**Alright guys I hoped you liked it and please review, I only got like 1 review last chapter! :( I hope you are all still liking it! Hopefully they will meet next chapter, but I don't think things are going to play out like you expect them to be...muahaha! The next chapter should be up soon! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, here's chapter six I hope you like the way I've done it!**

_Marius_

"February twenty-second. Are you all aware of what is happening on February twenty-second?" Monsieur Bouchard sat with us in a conference room of the hotel, except he was no longer sitting at that point- he was pacing in front of us. "Well, in case you were unsure, the rebels are holding a huge banquet that day to raise support and money for their cause! And every banquet that they hold gets them farther and farther away from being crushed. What are they fighting for? They are trying to overthrow the government many of you fought hard to create. You've seen many of your friends die like this. It has to stop. _We must control these gamin_! Now, do you know how much time we have until February twenty-second?" He asked, not waiting for an answer, "Two weeks. You have two weeks to get to work and get something done. I was informed that there was a slight disturbance in the street the other day, but I am not impressed that you were able to put it down. I am angry that it happened at all. Do you men take this job seriously?"

He continued, exasperated. "You wander the streets, sit around and drink, sleep, and do God-knows-what else all day. The truth is, each day they get stronger. People are unhappy. Between the lack of food, the lack of money, and high unemployment, a revolution is sounding like a grander and grander idea. In fact, maybe I could just go join them because they are getting a hell of a lot more done than you men!" His voice had risen greatly as he spoke, but after taken a deep breath, it had quiet much. "Now, listen to me, there have been rumors about, that the officials are going to cancel this banquet as well, for fear of the gathering of these angry workers, but there has been no confirmation on this. I am pushing for this, but it is highly unlikely for this to happen. In the meanwhile, though, I want you to get back out there and do what you have come to do. Now do you understand me?" He asked, his eyes like daggers staring into us.

We all nodded and mumbled in agreement, quite shaken up by this angry Bouchard. As he dismissed us, I left as quickly as possible, deciding to devote this entire day to my job, and nothing else. I had no choice.

Once we were out and decided we did not want to anger Bouchard again, we decided to split up and work separately. I took the route past the Hotel de Ville which was quite a decent walk, but there wasn't much action going on, so I just kept going. It was an unusually warm day for the season and I thoroughly enjoyed the weather and the walk. To my right was the Seine and I walked past a few of its port with boats filled with workers and tourists, although I doubted many people could afford to travel much in this economy. I presumed that some of them were here for this banquet they much relied on. It was the liberal bourgeoisie that supplied the money, after all. In the streets, more people were out than usual and children had smiles on their dirty faces as they ran around in their unraveling scarves and tattered hats. The air held something of promise and excitement that I could not place a finger on, but I relished in it none the less.

This walk reminded me of the many that Eponine and I would take together. We would meet up in the morning and I would buy her some food although she more often than not refused it. I would then hold her close to me and we would laugh giddily about everything and anything. I would tell her about subjects such as history, or poetry, or philosophy and she would just smile and nod along charmingly. Every day I would see her newest bruises and scars from living with that horrid family of hers even when she believed to be hiding them so well, but I gave up trying to fuss over them after so many years. She was a realist and one who had seen more wretched things in her life than I could ever imagine and would wave her hands in dismissal when I spoke of running away together when we were young, and then did the same as I would lecture her about the revolution. Her brother, little Gavroche, just a babe became so caught up in it and even ran away from home to join our fight. They both ended up dying bravely at the barricade, 'Ponine saving my life. My heart ached as I thought about that night and I spent many nights thinking about how I could have changed that. There were so many alternate endings in which she could have lived. If she had lived, I wondered if she would have told me about Estelle. I had never thought of that before. Would she have been too afraid to tell me? Did she think I would hate her? It wasn't her fault at all, it was both of us who made a bad decision that night and she lived those first years dealing with the aftermath. Now it was my turn to carry the burden of knowing what happened. And poor Estelle had been dealing with our mistake her entire life. I desperately wondered what had become of her.

After a while, I reached the Hotel de Ville, but to my surprise there was much action going on here. These crowds were bigger than the ones a few days ago, and they were angry, too. The people here were really getting riled up. A voice was shouting above the rest of them, loud and clear. I couldn't see him, but I recognized it. The crowds here were so great and vast, it was impossible to push through to find the speaker who was most likely standing atop boxes or other items. Like the other day, the voice was passionate and strong. He sounded so much like the friend I once had-Enjolras. "They are cowards, refusing to come out and meet us yet they hear everything we say! Everything we need! But they do nothing about it. This is why we demand a change!"

By now I could only half focus on the speaker because I was trying so hard to see him and confirm it was the boy from before. Then another voice began shouting next to him, just as loud and clear, "How much longer are we going to stand for this? How much longer until Phillipe's reign is done? This is why we are holding this banquet, to show them what we're made of. To show the big ones we do matter, we are the people of France, not them! Do you hear that?" the voice paused as the crowd screamed louder than ever, "It is the sound of France, it is the war cry of a country who will no longer be ruled by one man, but by its own people!" My blood turned to ice as my heart stopped. I knew that voice too, yet it was different. This once was more hoarse and raspy, louder too and more defiant. It was almost different enough to ignore, but yet I couldn't because the first thought that came to my mind when she opened her mouth was _Eponine. _

Both had paused from speaking for effect as the crowd grew and responded to their words, letting it sink in to the officials inside. In that instant my head snapped up and my breath stopped as I saw the two ralliers standing side by side on top of one of the empty carriages outside the Hotel de Ville. They stood close and were grinning at the response from the crowd. There she was- Eponine standing atop the carriage, but yet it was not Eponine for she looked different. Her skinny body stood steadfast next to his larger frame and only wore a gray dress with a tan jacket over it. Her gloves were in the same condition as his and her boots had holes in them, but she stood up there prouder than any rich man. She had the same overall soot-colored skin tone as did Eponine, which made my heart ache all over again. Those chocolate brown eyes resembled her so and were filled with such as spark of emotion that compared to her partner's. I remembered how I could stare into such deep eyes like those and get so lost. Her long, brown hair blew around in the wind as she spoke excitedly. It was very dirty and unwashed, but then again so was his.

What really shook me, though, was when I really looked at her face. I nearly broke down at the sight it, dotted with all those freckles that I'd never seen on any face except the one that looked at me in the mirror every day. Could this be? Was I looking at _my _daughter? She carried herself with much pose throughout the speech, standing right next to the boy and contributing equally. I'd admit I did not know what to expect when I heard from the men that a girl could lead a revolutionary revolt and I did not think it could be true. I also thought about all the things the men said about these two, and the rest of them for that matter. My thoughts were getting too far ahead of me, but I couldn't control myself. If this girl was my Estelle, I was just so happy to see her here and alive. I was so lost in my mind that I did not notice what was going on until it was over and people were separating, each going off into their own direction, taking excitedly to one another. Then, I watched the pair climb down with the help of another boy and girl about their age. Leading the way, she and the boy swiftly made their way through the crowd as their gang behind them, that had seemed to grow since the last time I encountered them, celebrated the speech and spoke excitedly.

They came my way and I caught their conversation as they came past. "Well as Metternich said, 'when France sneezes, Europe catches a cold'," a young man with dark curly hair on the far side of her was informing.

She laughed bitterly, "Well then I'm about to give Europe the goddamn plague for the next century and a half." She walked fast and brushed past me without even knowing who I was. But the first boy I met did, though. Standing on the side of her closest to me, we made eye contact and he nearly stopped in his tracks. He pointedly looked at me as he tapped her on the shoulder and muttered in her ear. With a skeptical scowl, she whipped her head around her, but he continued speaking as she rolled her eyes then just kept walking as the others followed.

I turned around and began to walk away; I was planning to follow them anyway.

"Marius!" I turned back around and saw him running over to me, his face flushed in anger and his brows furrowed in annoyance. Was he angry at me for something that happened the other day?

"Yes?" I asked, confused, "Is everything okay?"

His face suddenly changed to a welcoming one, "Oh yes, sorry it's just that my…friend…and I don't exactly get along too well."

"Well, I'd say differently after seeing you two up there just then." I informed him back, wanting to know more.

He just laughed, "Yeah, that's the only thing we can seem to agree on." I nodded, his smile becoming contagious. I wondered what he wanted with me and why he was being so friendly to an officer whose job was to make his life a living hell.

"What can I do for you, monsieur- I'm sorry what is your name?" I began.

He just stuck out his hand, "The name's Colar." I held mine out as well and he shook it enthusiastically. This boy was not one for formalities, I had noticed. "Excuse me, Marius, but may I ask you a question? Why did you not attempt to break up our rally today? Or are you going to report us now?" He asked, steering me to take a walk down one of the narrow streets of Paris. For some reason, though, I trusted this boy. Probably because he trusted me.

"I-I'm not sure." I answered truthfully, honestly thinking about it. "But, no, I'm not going to say anything. I'm alone today anyway."

He nodded beside me, "I see. Thank you. But Marius," He began, "I'm confused. Whose side are you on?" I had to stop right there. Nobody had asked me that question and I hadn't even thought about it. In fact I didn't know what to think anymore. "I saw your face the other day, when that crazy comrade of yours put that sword to my neck; you didn't have the same desire in your eyes as they did. They all could have killed me on the spot, but you were softer, more hesitant. I'm not seeing that as a sign of weakness or anything, but I'm just curious."

I looked at him and once again answered honestly, "Well, I'm not sure." This young man was a smart one. No wonder he angered so many people.

He continued walking and shrugged, "Okay."

I wanted to bring up Estelle, but I did not know how to do it without having to answer any more tough questions from him. I had to try anyway, "So Colar, who was that girl up there with you? I was impressed with her."

He laughed, "Oh that's just ol'Estee. She's a tough one."

"Estee? Is that a nickname for something?" I asked, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Yeah, it is. Her name's Estelle, but I've called her Estee for as long as I can remember. I don't even remember why anymore. It actually sounds strange referring to her as Estelle now." I felt myself grin with pure joy, it was my Estelle. But what was I to do now? How could I explain this to anyone?

"Why?" He asked, "What's it to you?" He eyed me with those intelligent, dramatic eyes.

"Oh, nothing."

And the smart boy decided to leave it at that. "You want to come meet everyone? Meeting us could help you choose a side once you've seen both of them fully." He raised an eyebrow and I couldn't help but accept his offer.

He led me to this tiny restaurant and we snuck in the back. "Are we allowed to be here?" I asked, carefully and not wanting to be caught trespassing with a rebel. If anyone asked, though, I could have just told them that I was getting to know them, which was the absolute truth.

"Of course we are," He answered as if I had just asked if the sky was blue, "Estee works here and they let us meet in the basement once in a while. It has a fireplace." He grinned, "Which is much more than I can say for my own place." Colar led me down the dark stairwell and into a warm and bright room. It was an odd place with chairs and tables covered in books and maps here and there, but it was nice. All the rest of the rebels were already gathered here talking and reading.

"Bonjour!" He called, getting everyone's attention. "We're back!" I suddenly wished I didn't come because when everyone looked up at me the entire room fell silent and all eyes locked on me. Some were angry, some shocked, some confused, but all on me.

Then, I saw Estelle sitting on one of the tables next to the dark haired boy from before. They had a book between them. I noticed even more how thin she was, as her dress was too large and slipped down off one shoulder. I followed her thin face down to her protruding collarbone and bony shoulders. I saw perfectly her tiny wrist bones and pointy fingers. The dress clinched her waist, though and it was appallingly thin, I swear to God it was the size of my fist. Her brown hair was almost covering one of her eyes and her shoes were off, bare feet dangling above the ground. Her lips pulled back in a tight smile as she slammed the book shut with one hand, the air pushing her hair back, just to have it fall farther in front of her eye. She hopped off the table and the boy next to her watched her carefully. She reminded me so much of Eponine already, it was painful. "Colar, who's this?" She asked in a high, tight voice.

"This is Marius. It's okay though, he's not going to do anything to us." She looked me up and down skeptically and I suppose she had good reason to. I just could not believe I was standing this close to her.

She then turned her attention back to Colar, "I don't trust you."

"Well Estee, I wouldn't trust you with any strange man you brought home, either." He replied without missing a beat and I don't think it had any meaning to any of us in the room, except them. They were certainly an odd pair. It really struck a nerve in her, though and her eyes flashed with bitter rage, and I think there was some hurt there, but I wasn't sure. His eyes flashed instantly with regret and sorrow, though as he said it. I wondered what was going on.

"Rainier." She said quickly, "Should we trust this man?"

The boy she was talking with earlier nodded, "Yes, we can trust Colar's decision I believe."

She gave a curt nod and seemed to loosen up. She looked me in the eyes, "Welcome to the club Marius."

"Yes," Colar sighed in relief, "Come have a drink with us." He patted me on the shoulder, and then leaned into my ear, "That went so much better than it could have. She actually thinks you're okay, she just didn't want to be the one to agree with me because she's a brat." He muttered.

"Right." I nodded as he guided me over to the largest table with five people already gathered around drinking beer. The one with the pitcher's name was Felix and the others were Ignace, Gervais, Clotaire, and Manon. In fact, they had allowed four girls to join the cause and actually fight. Not that it was unheard of, but the boys and I did not want any girls to fight and get hurt in our rebellion. _But I suppose our way did not work because Eponine did end up dead._ There was Estelle and Manon who were actually in it to fight, but then there was Zoe, a girl who had been rendered homeless when her father's small medical practice went out of business and now she lived alone in a small flat making money from her factory job and helping the underprivileged get health care. More interestingly was Aceline, a rich child who reminded me much of Cosette, but with a sharper tongue. She only started coming unhappily when her beloved Odilon joined the cause with his cousin Rainier. From what I saw of her then, though, I'd say she be willing to pick up a gun and shoot the king herself if he walked through that door.

I was sitting in between Aceline and Rainier when Estelle and Colar began to fight once again. It pained me much not to go over to her and tell her exactly who I was and explain to her how her life ended up where it was, but I was in too deep now and it was getting harder and harder with each passing minute to tell the truth. I had a feeling some of the smarter ones suspected something, though. "Now, what exactly is going on between those two?" I asked, genuinely curious. It was not my place to try to be fatherly in her life right now, but I wanted her to be safe, that was all.

Aceline laughed, "Oh, they have what you would call a love-hate relationship."

Rainier chuckled next to her, "Yeah. They love to hate each other."

"Oh, no Rainier. You have it all wrong." She informed him, "They clearly don't actually hate each other. It's just that this game has been going on for so long and neither of them knows how to end it. Or better yet, they are afraid to." She nodded as if she had just explained the meaning of the universe. I had forgotten what it was like to be this young and think you have the answers to everything.

"Okay. Or they just hate each other." He shrugged, "But what do I know about romance, right Aceline?" He looked over at her and I noticed her blushing. I was now thoroughly confused and glad I no longer worried about the love life and affairs of young adults such as these. I was past that. I looked up at Estelle and Eponine came back into my thoughts. Maybe I hadn't moved on as much as I thought I did.

I thought for a moment about how the whole damn city had an input on the relations of my daughter, when I hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. After all, I hadn't raised her, the city had. She had a life here and people knew who she was and what she stood for. Sure, it was very dangerous and I feared for her safety, but a little part of me was proud of her. Proud that she could become such a strong person in society given the circumstances she was in. The question I was here to find out though, was how?

**That's it for now, folks tell me what you thought because I had a lot of trouble deciding how to do this chapter but I think this will be the most interesting. And give me some ideas people! Thanks to those who have been reviewing, alerting, and favoriting it really means a lot! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's chapter 7, my lovelies. It's a little shorter, but enjoy!**

_Marius_

For the next few days, I woke up early and slipped out of the hotel before I could be interrogated by the others. I had been with them every night, but I did not let on that I had been with the rebels all that day. I had earned their trust and I was not about to break that. Even if Estelle did not know who I was, I was eager to spend as much time as I could with her. She was so strong, like Eponine and it pained me so much that Eponine would never be able to see her. All those boys and girls of the revolution were so similar to my boys as well, it was as if I was back in the café in 1832 and I felt at home, at peace almost.

I found myself smiling as I walked along, on my way to the restaurant where we were allowed to meet once again. Some of them would not be there because they had to work, but Estelle and Colar would be there. I knew that she worked quite flexible hours at the restaurant and he worked two jobs at the newspaper and at the bookstore, giving him access to flyers and books. An idea suddenly washed over me and I made a quick stop before heading to the restaurant. I would bring them a gift- a new book.

All they had were old tattered ones from the library and their maps were smudged and unreadable. They wrote in cheap, drying ink on the back of flyers and so I thought that a new book would be perfect for them. Hopefully, it would help solidify my friendship with them. I turned and walked to the nearest bookshop- pain striking me in the heart when I realized I recognized it. I had gone to this particular place many times as a college student and could spend hours immersing myself in each and every book. It was an extensive place simply named _La Librairie. _I opened the wooden front door of the shop and a bell rang, announcing my arrival. It was quiet today, but a few people browsed the isles. Now that I was in the store, I really did not know where to begin. Should I get a book for entertainment? An informative book? One on politics?

I began to slowly walk up and down the rows of books, often stopping to skim through one. Then, I finally saw the perfect one. It was entitled, _Les Réflexions de La Révolution_. I looked at the plain, leather-bound cover and then flipped it open to find journal entries and stories all on the original French Revolution of 1789. There were stories of hope, freedom, sorrow, and destruction. There were many helpful lessons on gathering crowds and fighting efficiently in the stories. I continued to read and there were more entries as time went on of Napoleon, small insurrections and uprisings, and a few of the Revolution of 1830. I decided on buying the book and thought it would be helpful for them to read.

I checked to see if I would recognize any of the workers-for I came here often as a student- but there were no familiar faces. I was slightly sad, but I left fully satisfied nonetheless. I was excited to give Estelle and the others this book.

I continued to the restaurant in the late morning in the cold February air. Paris weather was not kind in the winter. I went around back and slipped inside, walking down the stairs and into the warm room where the young adults gathered. Today, I was surprised to see that everyone was actually there-except for Felix, but that was no surprise. In fact, more got done when he wasn't there as opposed to when he was. But, they all loved him and kept him around anyway. The poor boy was hopeless with nowhere to go without his friends here so he spent most of his time intoxicating himself so he wouldn't have to deal with his problems. Manon saw me first and wave her hand in the air from where she was bent over a map with Elliot. "Marius!" She called, "You're here!"

I grinned, "Bonjour everyone." I waved and Estelle stood up from her seat in between Gervais and Clotaire. I held my breath as she smiled at me and waved me over. My heart soared with acceptance as I made my way over, clutching the bag that held her book in my hand.

"Marius! We're almost done with my speech I am going to make at the banquet. Colar and I each have to make one and they have to be parfait!" She said excitedly and I could feel the passion she had for this cause radiating from her. Her soot-covered, freckled face was lit up in pure joy; it was as if the bones protruding out of her cheeks and the bags under her eyes had vanished. Her brown eyes shone and her smile was so beautiful, even if her teeth were yellow and un-brushed. Her happiness was contagious, as she was not usually so light-hearted. "But mine is going to be better." She boasted, winking at the two boys who were helping her. I had to laugh as I began to reveal the bag to her.

"Estelle. I brought you something." I said as I handed the paper bag over to her.

She smiled and raised an eyebrow, "What is it?" She asked mischievously. I could tell she was not used to getting many things as she drew out the process dramatically as she shook the bag and turned it over in her hand, the smile on her face never faltering. I loved to make Eponine smile and it was just as satisfying to see the same one on Estelle's face. It was strange to think that the other half of this girl was me. She was so much like Eponine, but I recognized that passionate, optimistic spirit that she held which belonged to me, and not Eponine.

I watched her pull it out of the bag finally and was confused by her face as she held the book in her hand. I watched carefully as her face faltered for a second as she looked at the cover. She then quickly forced a smile on her face. "Thanks so much, Marius. This is really great! It's a book." She looked at me. I felt something was wrong, though. Had she already read it? Did she not like that book? Her face was more confused than anything, though.

"Have you read it before?" I asked, concerned.

She just flipped the book over and over in her hand, "No I haven't." She replied, "Colar!" She then called. I looked past her to where he was talking with a group of their friends. He turned his head with the utmost annoyance written on his face.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Come over here and see what Marius got us." She replied as he walked over and saw her holding the book. They exchanged a glance and he suddenly seemed very interested in it.

"Let me see," She handed him the book as he read the cover out loud, "Les Réflexions de La Révolution." She nodded as he read the subtitle, "Stories of war from 1789 to 1830 and their effects on the people part of them."

She smiled, "Wasn't that great of him?"

Colar agreed, "Thank you Marius. This looks really great." By now others had begun to gather around, looking at the new gift. "I'm going to hold on to this, if you don't mind. You can look at it when you get home. You're not working late tonight right?"

"No, that's fine. I'll definitely get to it tonight." She told him, "And thank you, really Marius."

"You're welcome." I replied as he walked away with the book and she went back to the table, pulling over a chair for me to sit next to her. There were two thoughts going on in my head. Why were they both acting so strange about the book? And did they actually _live _together?

I turned to Odilin next to me, "Do they-?"

He just laughed, "Yeah. They live in a little apartment together not far from here. Strange, I know, but they were both desperate and it was either that or live on the streets because neither of them could afford their own place. He left his home and she was kicked out of the orphanage she lived in, you know. Can you believe that?" I sighed, already knowing what happened to her. She was thrown out for acts of rebellion against the government. He continued speaking, "I remember the day I met them. They both showed up at a meeting, him in his fancy school-boy clothes and she in her ragged, dirty dress with protruding bones. The man who was forming a group to begin a rebellion saw both their spirits and took them under his wing and taught them everything they know. After they moved in together, they took a curtain and spit the entire apartment into two, each never going into the other's half." He chuckled, "They've gotten better with each other since and the curtain has finally been taken down, but it's pretty rough being around them and their constant bickering still."

So that was the story of Estelle and Colar, but there was one more question that tugged in my mind, "So what happened to the man who started this group?" I asked.

The young man's face fell sullen and serious, "He was killed by the police during one of his speeches." I felt the shock present on my face and he clearly noticed it, "When Colar and Estelle took over, they knew exactly what they were getting into. They know they could die any minute. As do we all. But what we are fighting for is worth so much more than our silly little lives here. In the grand scheme of things, we are each just a small snowflake in an avalanche." I took in his words then glanced over to where Estelle sat next to the others and a pit of fear began to form in my stomach. I couldn't think of losing her too even when I'd only just known her. But, she was willing to lay her life down for the freedom of her fellow working comrades without hesitation at a moment's notice. And that thought really scared me.

Later, as we all sat around discussing the next gathering that was to happen in the street, a strange knock came from the back door, causing everyone to jump. Apparently, this had never happened before.

After a moment of silence, Colar stood up, "I'm going to see what it is." He declared.

"No! Colar! That's dangerous. You can't just go over there by yourself. What if it's a set up?" Aceline cried.

"She's right," Gervais stood up as well, "I'll go."

"No." Colar put his hands firmly up, "I'm going to go. And I'm going alone."

Eyes shifted over to Estelle, looking for her reaction. Slouched on the chair, she just gave him a nod of approval, seeming very unworried about the situation. I, though, feared for who he might face on at the door. With that, he turned and stomped up the stairs. We heard the door creak open and then a pained shout came from up the stairs. Now, Estelle jolted upright and began sprinting after him. The rest of us, in a state of shock and panic, got up after her. She got there first, though and I heard her wail before I could see what was going on. I reached them, to see that they were both standing there, seemingly alive and unharmed, but her face was buried in his chest and I heard sobs coming from her as he stood there numbly and in a state of shock. I then peered behind them and heard the others have similar reactions.

Lying on the doorstep was Felix's body. I gasped at the bloody hole in his forehead where he had been shot point blank in the face. It looked like someone smashed a bottle over him because his filthy clothes were splashed with alcohol and shards of glass lied around him. There was a note stuck to his shirt. Colar went and picked it up, "This is just a warning as to what will come if you try to oppose us. You all will die." He sucked in a breath, "It's signed, 'the officials of Paris'." A wave of grief and nervousness washed over me as panic began to set in. I was soon met with nine angry, teary pairs of eyes. It was my men who had done this. I had no idea this was going to happen and I surely would have warned them if I had known.

Finally, someone moved. It was Manon who lunged forward first. She was fast and angry, but not thinking clearly because Colar and Estelle were able to move faster. I put my hands up and stepped back as she came inches from me, only to be intercepted by the other two. "You _salaud, _it was your men who did this!" She cried out, "How dare you show your face here, pretend to be our friend?! You're a spy, aren't you? They sent you here! You _âne!" _She continued to cry and thrash out as Colar overpowered her tiny body. I took a step back at each insult, attempting to explain that it wasn't my fault, but I couldn't form an explanation correctly.

Estelle hugged her and calmed her down with soothing words before turning to face me. My heart sank. There was no way she was going to believe that I had nothing to do with this. "Estelle, please…" I began, but she cut me off.

"No." Her voice was a pained, hoarse whisper. I searched her face and only saw pain and sorrow etched on it. Her eyes were red from tears and I could see they were very hurt. "We trusted you." She spoke each word with conviction and it was like a thousand daggers in my heart. "And this is what you do? You kill our friend? He was your friend, too! He may have been a drunk, but that gave you no right to treat him this way! How dare you show your face in here! How dare you show up and act like you actually cared about us!" Her voice rose and cracked between tears as she came closer to my face, "You disgust me." She snarled in my face, "Just leave before we do to you what your people did to him. Now go! And tell them that in order to stop this revolution from happening they are going to have to do this to him, and that we'll be ready and waiting."

Tears trickled down her face as Colar came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Go on, we're done here." He glared at me as the others gave me the same looks, some muttering horrid names in between sobs. Feeling completely hurt and unable to explain myself, I figured the best thing to do was to leave. I felt tears stinging in the back of my eyes as I turned to leave.

"I'm sorry." I choked out as I walked out into the winter day. As I grew farther and farther away, I hurt more and more. I had let them down; I wasn't able to save that poor boy. This is exactly what I did not want happening here. The pain and anger on Estelle's face burned in my mind as I thought about all the ways I've hurt her. This was most likely beyond repair. I had one chance to unite with my daughter and I completely ruined it. But as I thought about how upset I was, my thoughts began to blame the men who did this. How dare they? I thought that the reason we were here was to stop death, not cause it. My blood boiled with anger as I neared the hotel. That was completely uncalled for.

* * *

I stormed into the room of the tavern that I knew the men would be gathering in. They all stop talking and looked up at me as I headed straight for the man I knew was behind this. He was not fooling me anymore. "Delroy Fortier!" I roared, heading over to the bar where he stood with a beer.

He turned his head and his face cracked into a smile when he saw me. "Oh Marius, I'm glad you've finally joined us. I've been wondering when you would arrive."

"You killed him!" I said back angrily.

"Oui Monsieur Pontmercy, I'm not going to lie. But that boy got what he deserved." The man sated back fiercely.

"No he did not! We were not sent here to kill, we were sent to prevent killing!" I explained loudly.

"Yes, it was our job to stop the revolutionaries! Not befriend them! We know what you've been doing lately. You've been meeting with them, _helping them. _And you didn't even tell us, which leads me to believe you were trying to keep this a secret! I do not know how or why you began joining them, but it needs to stop! At least we are attempting to do our jobs!" He spat.

"They are people, too you know! And you know, they have some pretty good ideas too! They make more sense than yours!"

"Marius, listen to me. We are teaching them a lesson. He was just a sacrifice to show them what they were getting themselves into. It's exactly what they all want. To be a martyr for their cause." He spoke slowly, as if attempting to soothe a child, "I could tell Bouchard about this, you know. You could be dismissed easily for what you've been doing. I'm not going to do that, though. I'm giving you a second chance. Now stay with us or you can go home."

We held eye contact for what felt like an eternity. My hands were tied. I could not go home now, not after what happened today. I needed to stay and fix what I had broken with Estelle and the others. I had no choice but to give in to Delroy. I wasn't giving up, though. Not yet.

**What did you think? Let me know, leave a review! And there will be more to come soon! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey my lovely readers, sorry this took longer than I thought to put up, but it's a long one! Thanks for everyone who's been reading loyaly! Enjoy! :)**

_E__stelle_

The night was cold and dark, the dim streetlights illuminating the cracks in the wet and icy cobblestone sidewalk in front of me. The weekend had come and that meant there were many men itching for a woman tonight. I walked along the river, tears escaping now and then down my cheeks and sniffles coming from my nose. My bottom lip trembled and the more I thought about it and tried to stop, the harder it was to control myself. _Come on, you idiotee. Pull yourself together. _I scolded myself over and over. I wasn't even sure why I was crying anymore. It could have been a list of things, such as the fact that Felix was dead, Marius had betrayed us, I was freezing and starving, I was forced to sell my body to disgusting rats, the list went on and on. Dear God, I was pathetic.

The thought of Marius drifted into my brain as I fought back more tears. I hadn't seen him for a few days, ever since Felix died. It just wasn't the same without poor Felix's antics anymore. Everything just felt more dead and sad. As for Marius, his absence spoke louder than I had thought it would. I actually liked the man and enjoyed his visits. He would mostly just sit and listen, but he was also very smart too. I thought of the book he gave me and a tiny sob escaped me. I just didn't understand how he could do that to us. I thought I connected with him really well for some reason. I truly felt safe around him and I felt like I could trust him. And that was something I could not say about most people. But after seeing what his friends had done to Felix, my brain began working again and my heart hardened up some more. People were not good and kind and trustworthy. Especially not to people like me. He probably didn't care at all and it was my entire fault that my friend was no longer alive. Well, mine and Colar's. It was him who brought him to us in the first place. Colar really liked him, too. We all did. But, he was just another officer, nobody special and good. I figured it was his job to spy on us, but after getting to know him, my thoughts changed. He was good and so convincing. I was so stupid. I honestly thought he cared about our pathetic little lives and cause. He had betrayed us and I would never forgive that traître.

I never let myself act like this while others were watching, but when I was alone walking the dark streets by myself, I could not hide from my feelings any longer. I was nearing the other ladies, though and I couldn't let them see me like this. I was supposed to be tough and strong. How was a girl as poor and pathetic as me supposed to be leading a grand revolution? I know I could never do it without Colar, as much as I couldn't stand him, though and he helped motivate me to be someone and stand up for something. Being with him and the others helped me _live _and not simply _exist_ much unlike many others I knew, such as the kids at the orphanage or the ladies I worked alongside with.

Nearing the others I quickly wiped my tears away and put on my best smile. Most of the women did their work at the brothel, but others, like me, had their own places they took their men. The kind man and his wife who owned the restaurant I worked in allowed me to use the separate room built in the back. Although it was in fact connected to the restaurant, I could go in and out as I needed by the door in the room. The woman also let me use an old dress of hers that was quite risqué. I noticed women and men hanging about in the street. I watched in disgust as the men observed the ladies, as if deciding which cut of meat to buy. The women danced around them, attempting to grab their attention with their flashy dresses and seductive poses. I sighed as I would be joining them soon. I continued to walk into my room where I took my customers. It was a small place with just a bed, mirror, and dresser where I kept my dress and make-up.

I slowly pulled the dress out, a bright red thing with thin straps and a slit up to my hip. The dress fell a little past my mid-thigh and showed much cleavage. I was freezing cold in it, but I wasn't going to get any customers wearing a coat, so I had to just deal with it although I did keep my boots on. My breasts were practically falling out as I tied the back of it tightly, my ribs jutting out over by flat stomach and tiny waist. I then continued on my make-up, not having much left I did my best. I looked at myself in the mirror then forced a smile on my face, getting ready for the long night ahead. Taking a deep breath, I left and walked out to join my friends in the street.

Outside was filled with giggling women and the booming voices of customers. "Come on over here officer! I'll be your horse!"

"You can be doctor and I'll be your very good patient!"

"Come on ladies, I need some fun after a long week!"

"Over here Monsieur! We've got a two-for-one deal!"

"Look at all these women! I could do one or two!"

"We can be quick!"

"I'll let you take all night!"

Everyone's voices were such a familiar sound to me that I felt comfortable enough to join right in. A close friend of mine, Mallorie, bounded up to me, "Hey Estelle! I haven't seen you in a few days. What'cha been up to? Plannin' your revolution?" She asked, grinning with bright red lipstick that had been smeared all over her face. Poor Mallorie was not the smartest ampoule.

I had to smile back at her, "Yeah. We're makin' beaucoup de progress!" I replied.

"Oh, well you didn't miss too much 'round here. Um, well Merle's caught syphilis so she's not working no more. Oh, and we got someone new among us. Look over there." She pointed over towards a young girl, probably about my age or even a little younger. The girl looked desperate, sad and I could instantly tell she was not used to this. Everyone was embarrassed, scared, and ashamed at first. But, you have to get over it quick to survive around here. Especially if you're young. Men are sick bastards and love the younger ones. I felt bad for the poor girl, but I knew I couldn't help her. All I could do was try to keep myself alive.

I nodded to Mallorie, "Well, she'll be okay. Let's go." I grabbed her hand and jumped out into the street with her, walking up to the nearest man we saw who had not yet been caught by someone else. He was a decent looking man who had better hygiene than other's I'd seen so we considered him a good one. I tapped him on the shoulder and batted my eyes as he turned around. Mallorie put her arm around him as I greeted him.

"Hello, good sir? Can either of us help you tonight?" I drew closer to him, my voice dropping to a seductive whisper. As I continued to bring my body closer to his and attempt to sway him to come with me or Mallorie, I looked past him and noticed that new girl with a man. He was a large one, a sailor or some sort of strong laborer. His face was scruffy and hair greasy. He grabbed at her violently as she attempted to push him away. I stiffened as he continued to grow more forceful and her scared. "Excuse-moi," I said to the man Mallorie and I were with, "Now, go on you two. I promise you won't be disappointed." I winked at him as she shot me a confused yet thankful look. I nodded at her before I strode away from them, needing to help this poor new girl. She was going to get herself in big trouble.

"Hey!" I shouted; the words out of my mouth before I even knew what I was doing. All I knew was that someone needed my help. And that's what I did. I spoke out and stood up for those who couldn't or didn't have the courage to. They both stopped their struggle and looked at me as I approached.

"What do you want girl?" He growled, loosening his grip on her.

I panicked now that all the attention was on me, "You." I choked out.

"You." I said smoother, attempting to regain my mind. "I want you." I pointed to him, approaching the two of them. I was more equipped to handle this brute than she was. "Leave her, come with me. I can give you what you want." I desperately said in the most alluring voice I could muster. It worked, though, because he let her go and walked over to me.

"Alright then." He sized me up as I stood tall. "Let's go."

I grabbed his hand and led him to my room, actually nervous about this. His grip on my hand was very tight and I focused on my breathing and not panicking. As soon as we walked inside, though, he became violent as he toppled me onto the bed, sitting on me as he began to rip his pants off. I squeaked in pain and shock under him, frightened. "Monsieur! Please!" I gasped as he then continued to pull off my dress. "Stop Monsieur! I don't want to do this! Get off me!" I raised my voice louder, but that just angered him.

"Shut up whore! You're mine!" He slapped me as I lifted my knee to hit him in the crotch, thankful that he still hadn't taken his underwear off. He fell off me and moaned in pain as I rushed up, but he was fast too and grabbed me.

"Get off!" I screamed as he pushed me into the mirror over the dresser. Pain seared the back of my head as it shattered the old cracked mirror. I cried out in pain as he grabbed my hair and smashed my head again, this time into the corner of the dresser. I fell to the ground, finding it hard to process thoughts or actions with the overwhelming pain. Tears began to stream down my face as I whimpered. I knew only one thing. I needed to get out of there fast. He loomed over me, but I stumbled up and almost reached the door, running on pure adrenaline. As I opened it, he grabbed a shard of glass and stabbed me hard in the side. That was the final straw and I shrieked in pain and horror.

That only made me go faster, though and I stormed out of there, running as fast as I could into the night. We were on a quiet road, separate from the one the other whores found their customers on. The cold hit my body and sliced into my lungs as I tried to breathe and run. My running was labored as I limped along, my body feeling useless. I heard him shouting from inside and I didn't know what he was doing, but I wasn't looking back. I saw someone coming my way and knew it was my only shot. I didn't know who they were, but they had to be better than the man I was running from. And if they weren't any better, maybe that was good because they would just kill me and get me out of this misery and pain.

By now, I was completely crying uncontrollably. By the size and walk of the stranger I could tell it was a man. "Monsieur! Monsieur!" I shouted desperately. With all the commotion going on, lights began to turn on in the buildings around us as people began to wake up to see what was going on. Good. I didn't care anymore. I just wanted this man and this pain to go away. The stranger stopped and looked up at me. I almost stopped of shock as well at the sight of his face. It was Colar. At first I was confused. What was he doing here? But it was quickly replaced by relief, though. Colar was here. He would save me. "Colar!" I sobbed, collapsing into him.

"Estee?" He voice was filled with confusion and worry. By now people had come out, including my boss and his wife. He and a few others were holding the crazed man in his underwear back. He was shouting insults about me, but that was the least of my worries. I just wanted to go home. I was getting really sleepy.

"Estee! What happened to you?" He held me in a hug.

I attempted to speak, but my legs buckled out from under me before I could say anything. It was getting harder to concentrate. I fell into him, knocking him down with me. He stiffened in panic. "Estee what's wrong? Talk to me!" He held me close and I tried to focus on his face, but it was getting very difficult. I tried to follow his blue eyes that were filled with panic and emotion. They stood out the most against his face.

I gasped, "Help." I then pulled out the shard of glass imbedded into me and cried out in pain. He gasped too.

"Estee. Look at me. Focus." His hand on my back shifted up to the back of my head where he stiffened. I winced as he removed his hand slowly. He then looked at it to see it was wet and scarlet red. "Dear God." He whispered and began shaking, "there's so much blood."

I whimpered in response, not feeling any better. He continued, "You need to see a doctor. Now."

At his words, I panicked and tried to get up. I was not going to see any doctors. There was no way I could afford that. They probably wouldn't even take me anyway. I was just some pathetic prostitute. No, I couldn't go there. I just couldn't be injured at a time like this. Seeing a doctor meant this was bad. There was so much I had to do and if I was in the hospital I couldn't work anyway, causing more financial problems. There would be no doctors. I tried to explain this to him, "N-n-no. It's f-f-fine. Jus' a little blood. I ok-k-kay."

"Estee you are not okay." He said sternly, looking up and around us. "Help! Help! She's hurt! She needs a doctor!" He shouted. I tried to stop him, but it was getting too hard to move. I was in so much pain and I was so cold too.

"Colar." I whispered.

"Shh." He whispered back, "We're going to get you some help. Just remember what Zoe said about if someone hits their head. Don't sleep. I'm not going to let you close your eyes on me."

"But, I'm s-s-so tired a-a-and coldd. I just want t-t-to go home." I replied, barely listening to him. I blinked my eyelids heavy. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Estelle! No! Stay awake goddamn it! Look at me!" He gave a strangled cry as I closed my eyes again. I heard someone running up to us and he gasped. "Please! Help her." I heard him saying as I let myself easily slip into sleep.

* * *

I woke up slowly as I felt myself come out of deep sleep. First I was aware I was in a bed and I felt warmth, one thing I was certainly not accustomed to. Then, I heard noises of someone moving around as I came to. Finally, my eyes flickered open and I was attacked by light of the day, causing my head to pound. I felt limp and useless lying in that bed. I just couldn't move my body. I shifted my eyes to my left to see a man I didn't know shuffling tools around on the dresser I was smashed into. My heart stopped. It was a doctor. I was in my room attached to the restaurant.

I shifted my eyes around me and saw I was lying in the same bed as always, but the sheets were actually new and clean. What was going on? When was it? What had happened? I tried to talk, but all that came out of my mouth was a little whimper. It was pathetic. I needed to not be here and I needed to not be this weak. He turned around and smiled when he saw me.

"Bonjour." The middle-aged man came over to me. "It's good to see you awake." He handed me a glass of water, "Here. Drink something. You'll feel better." I really was thirsty and my mouth was very dry. He was a doctor, so I figured I should trust him. I nodded and shakily reached out to take it. When I did, I noticed I was wearing long sleeves and in clothes I had never seen before. Someone had changed my clothes. I wondered who and was slightly embarrassed that it could have been this doctor. Or worse-some else. Someone I could never deal with seeing me like that. I suppressed a shudder as I drank the cold, refreshing water.

When I could speak again, I opened my mouth, "What's going on?" it was a snappy hoarse whisper.

He smiled. Why was he smiling? I wanted to wipe that smirk of his face as he looked down at me. "I think you're going to be okay. You hit your head very hard and you have a stab wound in your side. Also, your body is extremely malnourished." He began, stating the obvious. "But, with much time and proper medical care, you should eventually recover. You do know your name, right?" I nodded and told him. He then proceeded to ask me many questions, testing to see how much head trauma I had. Thankfully, he told me that I wasn't bad, but I did have a concussion.

After his tests, he let me have food. Madame Jackson, my boss's wife, came in with a tray of delicious smelling soup. Apparently it was around noon, but I had been out for over a day, sleeping through the entire yesterday. As I finally sat up with a minor struggle, I realized that Colar had been there last night. Why had he been walking there in the first place? And where was he now? "Colar?" I whispered out loud to them, hoping they would somehow understand what I wanted.

Madame's face softened, "Oh you mean the boy who brought you in here?" I nodded. "He spent that entire night and most of yesterday in that corner over there," She pointed to the chair in the corner of the room, "But I finally got him to leave that chair, although he wouldn't go home. He's currently passed out upstairs right now." She chuckled. "Oh, and by the way, you've probably noticed that I changed your clothes. I couldn't keep you in that dress so I decided to put something of mine on you. When you're feeling up to it, I could help you into a bath as well." I sighed in relief as I thanked her. So it was her who changed me. She continued, "And I wanted to let the boy get some rest, but he was so distraught that my husband is waking him up now since you've woken up." She sighed, "That poor kid. You really put him through the ringer there."

I was slightly surprised by her comments on Colar, but before I could process it, he came rushing into view as he landed in the doorway. His hair was completely ruffled and uncontrolled, sticking up this way and that. His deep eyes were wide and wild with bags hanging underneath them. His clothes were the same ones he had on the other night; I'm pretty sure as they were all wrinkled and out of sorts. He really did look like the one who was attacked. But, then again, I'm not so sure how I looked either. I couldn't be much better.

"Estelle!" He yelped, "You're okay!" He rushed in next to me. My mind briefly pondered on how he had probably called me by my real name more times in these past two days than he had ever in the entire time I've known him. His entire face beamed with relief and I had to chuckle at his excitement. But it also made me a little nervous as to how much he had panicked over what had happened.

"Of course I'm okay!" I grinned back but I don't think I was too convincing with my soft voice and shaky body because he still looked extremely worried. "But why did you get a doctor? There's no way we can afford this. I'm going home now." I said in a lower, more serious voice. I attempted to get up, but a little push on my shoulder with his fingers sent me backwards into the pillow. "Mph!" I huffed as I landed uselessly in the bed.

He rolled his eyes, "Do you really think that you're okay to just get up and walk out of here?"

"Um, yes. What do you mean? How long am I going to have to be here?" I snapped, getting more and more nervous about the position I was in. I could hardly move.

"You were out cold for almost two days! You're not going anywhere any time soon! And besides, as for the expenses…" He paused, "Someone is covering everything you need." He finished awkwardly.

I was confused. Who would do that? Was it Monsieur Jackson? It couldn't be. "What do you mean?" I eyed him skeptically.

He sighed just as Monsieur walked in, "Is she okay for visitors? He's back." Colar turned to look at him, then back nervously at me.

"What? Who's back? I'm fine." I demanded wanting to know what was going on.

Colar spoke again, "Estee, listen-" He stopped as the visitor walked in.

My blood turned to ice and my eyes narrowed in anger as my heart stopped in a mix of rage and pain. Slowly and carefully, in walked Marius. I stiffened and tried to get as far away as possible, recoiling into a smaller ball and leaning back into the pillow as he approached. Every movement was so painful, though.

"Estelle," He said softly.

"What are you doing here?" I growled, feeling weak and vulnerable and like I was just slapped in the face. "Go away. I never wanted to see you again."

He looked hurt, but I didn't care. He had hurt me already. But stupid Colar cut in, "Estee, listen to me before you say something you regret." I was getting very angry now and feeling embarrassed and shameful. They all looked at me as if I was a beaten, mad dog. Their pity surrounded me and I couldn't handle it. I was tougher than this.

"There's nothing to say. Are you going to defend him?" I snarled, shocked at Colar.

"Yes I am." Colar spat back, "He saved your life Estelle! It was him who came to our aid that night and he is paying for all of this." He waved his arms around, "And he has anything else you need covered. I talked to him. He really is good and one of us. He had no part of what happened to Felix." He finished as Marius came over to kneel with him by my bed.

"It's true." Marius spoke slowly, "You have to believe me. I had nothing to do with that and I was as shocked and upset as you were about it. Please, I feel terrible about what happened but you have to know that I would never do anything intentionally to hurt any of you." His eyes met mine, the emotion and pleading present in them. I felt myself believing his words.

I loosened up as Colar spoke again, "We've talked and we can tell you everything later, but the doctor said not to overwhelm you right now, but we've got much to talk about." They didn't want to overwhelm me? Why? What did they have to say? I looked at the two men; they knew something I didn't and I hated being left out.

"What's going on?" I demanded, "Tell me. I don't care what the stupid doctor said. I need to know."

Colar sucked in a deep breath. "Listen Estelle, something's happened. Last night they cancelled the banquet again. And now we're going to have an uprising."

**Well I hope you liked this chap! And the next one will be in Marius's POV so you get to know kind of what happened with him during this event. Please review and let me know what you're thinking of this story! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Bonjour my lovely readers, sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I am back now! Thanks for your reviews on the last chapter I love you guys! Now, enjoy chapter nine! Oh, and it's a little longer than the others so I hope you like! :)**

_Marius_

I watched her reaction to Colar's news. She looked terrible, lying there with a pale shaken face; bandages around her head, tangled, matted hair, sunken eyes, and a fragile, slightly shaking body. She looked shocked at the news, then angry. I did not want her hearing this; she was in no condition to. I knew Colar wasn't going to hide this from her, though. Her face contorted as she straightened up, wincing at every movement I noticed. "What do you mean? They cancelled it? We're actually going to fight?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yes. We won't stand for this any longer. We don't deserve this." His eyes lit up in a fiery passion as he spoke and I was reminded of our conversations we had in the last few days together. "I have spoken to the others and it is unanimous. We will march into the streets on the day the banquet was supposed to happen. They are all out spreading the word as we speak. So far, we have had an outstanding response and much support." He continued as she began to catch the revolutionary fever emanating from him. Little did they know what they were getting themselves into.

"That's great. This will be it. This is what we've been waiting for. It's now or never!" She responded, "Let's go, we've got much to do." She spoke excitedly and I froze. She could hardly walk never mind fight. She would not be healed in a week either. I looked over to Colar who knelt next to me, hoping he would not say anything stupid and allow for her to leave this room today. I knew I had no jurisdiction here, and he knew it too.

He scoffed, not exactly the sound I'd choose to make in this instance, but he did not fear her or care about hurting her feelings as I did. "Estee, if you think that I'm letting you leave to go march in the streets and fight, then you certainly hit your head much too hard."

She narrowed her eyes at him angrily, "So what am I supposed to do? Sit here useless while all of you are outside fighting for your lives? This is what I've been waiting for. This is what I _live _for!" She snapped back.

"Well I'm sorry that you got yourself into this mess, but I'm not going through all this trouble just to get you killed." His voice rose in anger as well. The tension between them overwhelmed the room and made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. The way they were now made it impossible for me to believe that they were the same two sitting in the street crying and clutching each other closely just two nights ago. As they fought, I became confident that Colar would make the right decision in this situation. I took a minute to think about the other night.

The men were especially rowdy that night, all excited at the news of the cancellation of the banquet, the government fearful of what would happen if all those rebels were allowed to meet. The announcement would be made the next day. I was excited too, glad that I could finally stop worrying about what would happen to those kids at the banquet, but still so upset that I couldn't see them anymore. I wanted to tell Estelle so terribly who I was and that I would never to do anything to hurt her or her friends. I had vowed to myself that if I ever saw her again, I wouldn't let her go without telling her who I was.

My friends had decided that it would be fun to go pick up some prostitutes and have fun seeing as our boss was no longer as stressed, although we still had a job to do. I wasn't too enthralled with the idea and neither were some others, but we all went along anyway. I was on good terms with most of the men and we quite easily forgave each other for what had happened, but I knew that Delroy no longer trusted me and always had an eye out for me. I just tried to keep away from him. We arrived at the brothel well after dark where many ladies hung about. They wore messy make-up, tight revealing dresses, and staggered about seductively. I noticed quite a few of my comrades fell for their charm and ran off with them immediately. When nobody, especially Delroy, was paying attention, I stepped into a side street and went for a walk on my own, just wandering. I was maneuvering through the narrow side streets when I heard the cries. A man was shouting and a girl was screaming and crying loudly.

I froze and searched around for the noise. It sounded like someone was in trouble. I ran off towards the noise and past many people coming out of their homes as they heard it too. I darted out into another street and almost ran into a crazed man without pants on. A few other men were holding him back as he shouted absurdities about some prostitute. I looked farther down the street where two bodies were huddled together. The boy was shouting for help as he had his friend held tightly to his chest. I ran up to them and my heart stopped as I saw their faces. It was Colar and Estelle. He saw on his knees and she was slumped up against him. They were both crying and she seemed to be drifting into sleep as his eyes were wide with worry. "Please! Help her." He cried out as I approached.

I just stared in shock at the two of them. Clearly, she was injured and unconscious and he feared for her life. What was going on? I didn't have much time for questions, though and I knew I needed to help them. I needed to find a doctor. "Hold on." I told him as he nodded.

"Hurry." He pleaded.

I ran up the street as people came outside, "Help! We need a doctor! Is anyone a doctor?" I called out, not knowing what else to do. I did not know how badly she was injured or what had happened. Luckily, there was a doctor around and we were able to get him to her. By the time that was done, the police had arrived to take the man away and Monsieur Jackson let us take her into the restaurant. While she was being taken care of, Colar and I sat outside the room at a restaurant table together. I observed him from across the table where we sat. His eyes were still red and puffy and he sniffled once in a while. His brown hair was becoming messier and messier as he continued to run his hand through it while tapping his foot on the ground nonstop. He was clearly stressed and worried about Estelle.

I was too, but I was also extremely confused. After sitting together, not speaking, I finally decided to break the silence, "Colar? What's going on?" I asked him, my voice barely a whisper. He whipped his head to look me in the eye wearily, as if unsure what to say to me. I could tell he still did not trust me.

"I don't know," He confessed after a moment, "What were you doing there? And why did you help us?"

I was slightly shocked at how fast he turned on me, but the boy was a quick one and was very strong hearted and minded. I wasn't going to hide anything from him, though because I just wanted to stay on good terms with him. I needed to gain his trust if I ever wanted to see my daughter again. "The men and I were in the area for the night and I decided to wander off and go for a walk on my own. Then I heard the screaming and ran over to see what was going on. That's when I found you." I answered honestly.

He dipped his head in a nod, "You care, don't you?"

"Yes. I do." I breathed, desperate for him to know that I never wanted to hurt anyone. I explained my side of the story to him as he listened silently, no emotion that I could read in his gaze.

Finally, he rubbed his face with his hands tiredly. He looked so much older here than when he was speaking in the streets. His face was sadder and strained. His eyes were still watery with tears and dull. Sighing, he spoke, "Okay. I believe you. And thank you. For helping her."

"Please," I began, "If I may. Allow me to cover everything she needs to get better." I wanted to do everything I could to help.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "That's a grand offer Monsieur Marius. Now why would you want to do that?"

My heart pounded in my chest, did he know something? Of course he did. He always suspected something. "Because you obviously will not be able to afford it and I can. I owe you a life anyway after what happened to your friend." I explained. It was true.

"Thank you." His voice got caught in his throat as tears began to stream down his face once again. "Thank you so much." His voice was now wracked with sobs. "This could all be useless, though. I don't know how badly she was injured. She might never come out of that room alive for all we know." I looked over at the poor, broken boy. He looked completely hopeless. It was if he had already given up. I felt tears prick my eyes as well. I just knew we couldn't give up, though. Not yet.

There was a moment of silence as I prayed and he sobbed softly. But, there was a question nagging in the back of my mind the entire time. What had _they _been doing there? "Colar." I addressed him as he looked back at me, attempting to regain control of his tears.

"Yes?"

"Why were you two there? And what was going on with that man?"

He sucked in a deep breath. I think I knew the answer to that, but I just didn't want to accept it. "Listen," He started, "She doesn't want anyone knowing, but I assume that keeping secrets between us stops tonight." _Too bad I was keeping a huge one from him. _"We desperately need money and are having trouble paying the rent and feeding ourselves and I had two jobs so she needed to get a second and she needed to make a lot of money fast. And we both know the best way for a woman to make fast money. So, she began prostituting." My blood began to boil. I couldn't believe that my own daughter had to resort to prostituting. "I tried to stop her. I really didn't want her to do it, but she was just so damn stubborn about it. She repeatedly told me it wasn't a big deal, but it is, I know." He must have seen the expression on my face because he was speaking fast and defensively.

"A prostitute?" I snarled, "She was forced to become a prostitute?" He nodded, wide eyed. "And you just let her go and sell her body to those scum? There was no other way for her to make money?" I was extremely angry now and he could tell.

"I'm sorry! Really! There was nothing else we could do, though. Besides, that's what I was doing out on that street anyway. I was trying to find her and tell her to come home. Every night that she went out, I was practically eaten alive by the guilt. It was just by luck she saw me and thank God she did. And we were going to either get thrown out on the street or starve to death! Or both! And I already had a second job. I already told you, I didn't approve of it but that didn't mean I was going to force her not to do it. She can make her own decisions you know!" He spat back, fear turning into anger.

"She's only 17! Not even an adult! She shouldn't have to do that. Think about it, she's still just a child! She's some father's daughter! _Think about that_!" By now I had lost it.

He sat back and laughed bitterly, "No. You see Marius, that's where you're wrong. She's not a kid, far from it in fact. She's seen things that would make you and I want to crawl away and hide from in her life. She was never just a child. And you're wrong again. She's no father's daughter. In fact, she's no one's daughter. Nobody ever cared about her." His words sliced through my heart like a sword. They were all true and I felt like it was a direct attack at me. And I deserved all the pain I felt right now, it was my entire fault. But that didn't make it hurt any less. In fact, it made his words hurt more. I could have stopped this if only I wasn't so selfish and such a fool. He watched my shocked and hurt reaction to his words and raised his eyebrows, "Why does it matter to you anyway Marius? Is there something you have to say?" I felt his eyes searching my soul and knew it was time to confess.

"Yes." I breathed, admitting it out loud was suddenly going to make it all real. "I'm her father."

His face shifted from one of expectance and annoyance to complete shock as his jaw hung open and his eyes grew wide. "You're _what?"_ He asked.

"Yes, it's true. Estelle is my daughter." I fumbled around in my coat and found Eponine's letter. "Here" I handed the old folded up piece of paper to him, "Her mother wrote me this back in 1832 on the day she died." Tears had returned to blur my vision once again.

Without saying a word, he took the paper out of my outstretched hand and slumped back into the chair as he read. After what felt like a century, he finished reading and looked up, tears in his eyes as well. "I'm so sorry Marius. Really, about everything that happened."

"She was my best friend." I choked, looking past him as old memories resurfaced. "She died in my arms. She saved my life." I slammed my fist on the table, not knowing what else to do with all my emotions. "Sixteen years. Sixteen _years_. It's taken me to do anything about this letter. And now I'm on the verge of losing our _daughter_ as well."

"Wow." His face was softened and sorrowful, "I mean I knew something was up with you, and the thought crossed my mind, but I just can't believe it's true. And all this time you never said anything."

"I know." I whispered, "And now it's probably too late. That's why I care, Colar."

"Well, I have spent many years with good ol' Estee and I know for a fact that she's tough and she's a fighter. If anyone can pull through this, she can." He replied solemnly and I wondered if he even believed his own words. I don't think he wanted to get his hopes up too high.

I was brought back to the present where Estelle had in fact made it and Colar and I were now much closer and understanding of each other. "Well you're not coming home today. We'll see about tomorrow." He huffed, signaling the end of the conversation as she was beginning to slip back into sleep once again, exhausted already.

"She'll be fine," The doctor came over, "She really does need to rest though," And with that, he ushered us out of the room. In the restaurant, Madame Jackson served us some food and not long after, Aceline came rushing in with Zoe. Thankfully, not many other customers were there at the time.

"Colar! You're here!" She gasped, "We've been searching all over for you!" He stood up as the girls approached.

"What is it?" He asked with anticipation. I remained seated and watched the conversation. Yesterday, Colar met with the others when they heard about the cancelling of the banquet and told them all about what had happened. I watched as the girls glanced at each other nervously and I could tell they were weary around him, unsure about how Estelle was doing. "Well spit it out already!" He snapped, over-exhausted and on edge.

"It's Manon." Aceline said softly, "She's in trouble."

"In trouble? What is that supposed to mean?" He growled.

"She's been caught by the police!" Zoe squeaked out.

"She's been _what?" _He snapped.

"Yes," Aceline wailed, "Oh, Colar it is terrible! She's been arrested for treason. The streets have been swarming with cops and we've had to be extra careful but she was at the Marche des Innocents making a deal with some bourgeois when an undercover officer found her and arrested her on the spot."

"Are you _baise _kidding me?" He slapped his hand to his forehead, "What have you two done about it?"

"We came to find you." Aceline replied.

"Women." He muttered bitterly, "This is why you don't let them start a revolution. All they are is trouble. One is severely injured and almost died on me, another has been arrested and the other two are running around like frightened idiots." He then turned to me, "I have to go; I'll be back. Watch over her please."

"Colar?" Aceline finally whispered, "How is she?"

He sighed in exhaustion, "She's going to live. That's all I can say for right now."

The other two let out a breath of relief. "Well, that's all we need to know. If she's alive, then it's going to be okay." Zoe smiled.

"Come on then, let's go rescue Manon." Colar commanded as he walked out of the restaurant, the two girls in tow.

I watched them leave, wondering how he was going to get Manon out of that situation. Yet, I knew that somehow he could. He was so passionate about this and I was once again reminded of another conversation we had together.

It was the day after Estelle's accident and we were once again sitting in the restaurant, drinking coffee together and waiting for her to either wake up or be pronounced dead. The doctor had told us what her injuries were and we still did not know exactly how she gained them, but we knew that horrible man did it to her. "Colar?" I asked, "What are you going to do now?" Felix was already dead and Estelle could have died. She was a vital part of his cause. What was he going to do without her? I hoped he was considering calling this off. At the time, I had completely forgotten that the banquet was cancelled.

"I'm going to continue doing what I have always done. No matter what happens, I'm not giving up. The people of France deserve better than this and someone has to help them do something about it. Every decision I've made in life starting with the day I left my loyalist family has revolved around saving France." He spoke with such assurance and passion that stabbed at my heart. He was so much like a young, blonde revolutionary leader I once knew who thought he could change the world.

I understood how he felt so much that it hurt, but I knew that he, nor anybody, should get their hopes up too high. At the barricade all those years ago the people who supported us and wanted a change coward away and shut their doors and windows once the fighting began. "But-," I started but he cut me off.

"No. I know what you're going to say Marius. I know what happened back in June of 1832. I've read books about it, heard about it, and have studied it in every detail. I understand the risks, but I don't care. I have to do _something._"

He still didn't get it, though. "You may know about it, but you've never experienced it!" I was beginning to get angry at his stubbornness and old memories began to resurface as well as the tears that come with them. "Have you ever looked a man in the eye whose gun was pointed at your face, his cold expression as he was about to pull the trigger? Or how about a barricade blowing up beside you, taking the lives of your friends with it? Have you ever held your best friend in your arms as she slowly bled to death from a gunshot wound that was for you? And how about seeing a little boy, an unloved street urchin who hung around with the revolutionaries, just wanting to be something in life because there was nowhere else to go? Have you felt the pain of watching him get shot multiple times in front of you as he tried to collect the much needed ammunition? Or the feeling of waking up one day to learn that every single one of your friends are dead and you are somehow living? These are ghosts that haunt you forever and you can never be rid of them." I tried to explain.

"Then there is only one way to not be haunted like that." He said gravely. "A captain must go down with his ship. Well, a leader must go down with his cause. I have nothing left to loose. You couldn't die, you had Cosette. I don't have anyone waiting for me. None of us do, except maybe Estelle, but she doesn't know about you." His voice became soft as his gaze turned towards the closed door. "If she wakes up, there's no way she'd have the strength to fight, but she would try so hard anyway, it could just kill her." I could feel the pain in his voice.

I reached across the table and took his hand in mine, "Listen Colar. When she wakes up we're just going to have to do everything in our power to protect her. I'm not going to allow her to do this, but I need your help. We have to promise not to give in. Can you do that for me? For her?"

He grabbed my hand back and sighed, "I guess so. I just don't like making decisions for her. Like I said, she's not a child and she can do what she wants. But I understand you."

"So we have a deal?" I asked.

He nodded, "We have a deal."

I looked across at the boy and he gave me a crooked smile, the first one I'd seen in days. I couldn't help but to return it. I suddenly felt so old, as I was reminded of Cosette's father. He and I were not all that different. Here I was, begging this boy to protect my daughter and I made a deal with him to keep her safe. It was funny how life was like that. Jean Valjean was a good man and I will stand by that fact until the day I die.

Once he and the two girls left the restaurant, I turned my attention to Estelle's room. The door was closed and she was sleeping, but I had to see her again. I got up and slipped quietly into the room. It was dark and the curtain was closed, but I could clearly see her lying on the bed, her face frighteningly pale. Pulling up a chair, I just sat for a moment watching her chest move up and down as she breathed, soothed by the sound of her breaths. I noticed that a few strands of hair were in her face so I moved to brush them away. As I did, her nose scrunched up in sleep. At that action, my breath caught in my throat. Eponine used to do the exact same thing. Although it seemed impossible at this point, my body was able to produce more tears thinking of her.

Ever since her family had moved to Paris after losing the inn and I had moved there was well at a fairly young age to get away from my family, she had always come to me on bad nights. On those moneyless, foodless, drunken nights, her father would often beat her and she would run away. She wouldn't sleep on the street or go to her brother, but she would in fact come to me. I would take her in and we would sleep together in my bed, especially on those cold winter nights it was nice. She would be so exhausted and immediately fall asleep in my embrace and I would watch her just as I was watching Estelle. Her hair would always fall into her face and sweep across her nose so I would brush it away. Unconsciously, she would always crinkle her nose in the most adorable way.

I remember after we had sex she stopped coming to see me for a few months and in that time I had no idea where she would sleep on bad nights. She was only gone for about six months so thinking back she was probably about three months pregnant when she left. Finally, the night before she left she came to my place and I was all too happy to have her back. I finally thought we could be close friends again. Little did I know, though was that she was carrying my child and she was planning on leaving the next day. She never exactly told me why she left and always brushed off the question and changed the subject every time it came up. Thinking about that night, I realized it was the last time the three of us would ever be together. On that cold night, the two of us huddled close and our daughter right there inside of her, we were a family. I wonder if she thought about that as we lied there together, just the three of us. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched over my daughter and I prayed to Eponine to help me watch over and protect our Estelle.

**I kind of liked this chapter, so I hope you did too! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone I hope you are enjoying the story and I got the most reviews ever on a chapter last chapter so I just want to say thank you so muchhh! I love you! I hope you enjoy this one too!**

_Estelle _

The next day, I attempted walking. My body was beaten and tired, but my spirit was just as strong as ever and I was determined to show everyone that. Thankfully, my only visitors had been Colar and Marius because I would never want any of my friends to see me like this. For some reason, Colar and Marius were different. I couldn't put a finger on it, though. When I had woken up, in the late morning neither of them were there, both out doing their jobs. So, Madame helped me into a bath and cleaned me up well. My gash on my side was raw and ugly still and the back of my head tender and painful to touch. She cleaned the soot off my body and the dirt and grease out of my hair gently. I could see in her eyes that she pitied me, but I let her comfort me anyway. I told myself that it was for her own good to feel like she was helping sooth me. I could also eat and she gave me whatever I needed, all at Marius' expense and I felt a little guilty but then remembered what he did to Felix and decided he deserved it. No amount of food or money could bring my friend back, though.

After washing me, brushing my hair, and dressing me, she helped me back into my room. Looking in the cracked mirror, I saw a girl I didn't recognize. Sure, her body was thin and shaky, but she looked so clean and refreshed. I soon slipped back into sleep. It was nice being here, but I needed to get out as soon as possible and back to helping the uprising. I felt left out of the world being in that room and I wanted so badly to jump back in. It seemed as if Colar and Marius had become best friends or something and that made me mad. They both wanted me out of this for some reason and used their intelligence and health against me. I did not approve of their new alliance.

It was Colar that woke me up later that afternoon. "Estee! Estee!" He shook me out of sleep.

I barely had opened my eyes never mind registered what was going on when he began to speak quickly. I had no idea what he was saying. I was just trying to sleep and he was interrupting me with his nonsense. "If I throw a stick, will you leave?" I moaned half awake.

He stopped touching me and talking, thank God. Maybe he would leave.

Instead, he punched my arm. "Ow! What the hell was that for? What's your problem?" I sat up, my head dizzy at the sudden movement.

"You know, anyone who told you to be yourself couldn't have given you worse advice." He retorted. "I'm trying to help you here! I'm getting you out!"

My heart soared. "I'm going home?" I asked, excitedly. This was great news. He nodded excitedly. "I've talked with Marius and the doctor about it and they both agreed that you would be okay to come home." I didn't like the fact that he had to consult Marius on my health, but I was happy nonetheless. I was finally going to get out of here and get back to the revolution.

"This is excellent news!" I found myself giggling as he grinned back at me. Then, I realized what I was doing. I was not a giddy school girl. What had overcome me? I snapped back to myself. Why was I so happy to go home anyway? It would just mean that I would have to be around Colar more often. In the moment, though, I was just too relieved to care. Whenever I wondered about this, I brought my mind over to the cause I was going to fight for. We were going to free the workers of France. That's all I cared about.

"Come now, there is a carriage waiting outside for us." He proceeded to lift himself off my bed as I gasped. I had never been in a carriage before.

"A carriage? How did we get a carriage?" I asked in disbelief.

"Courtesy of Marius." He replied. "We'll have to write him a thank you note some time." He laughed as I just rolled my eyes. He absolutely loved his new best friend.

My heart pounded as I started to slowly get up, gripping the side of the bed for help. The movements no longer sent shooting pain through my body, but it was an overall aching struggle to move. He held his hand out and I had no choice but to take it to prevent myself from falling over. We staggered out of the room and into the restaurant where Madame and Monsieur Jackson, my doctor, and Marius were waiting. Madame hugged me as soon as she saw me and her husband told me to get better so I could come back to work. It was an incredible gesture because that meant he was going to hold my job for me. My doctor then instructed me on proper care and to get plenty of rest in order to recover. I just nodded and shrugged him off, not really paying attention. Finally, Marius stood by the door as we were leaving. He had been so generous and helpful about everything and Colar clearly liked him. After his repeated apologies and hearing his story from both he and Colar, I was beginning to accept him again.

I approached him and he smiled at me. That's when I let go of Colar and hugged him. He returned my embrace with a tight, comforting hug. I felt surprisingly safe in his arms. These last few days had left me soft and vulnerable, a feeling I realized I had to soon shake if I was to prove I was well enough to participate in this rebellion. But then, I remained in the comforting arms of our friend Marius. "Thank you so much for helping me." I whispered in his ear.

"Thank you so much for staying alive on me." He replied just as softly and graciously.

When we broke apart, I could see his eyes glossy with tears. He really did care about me, but I just didn't understand why. I was no one special. Colar and I thanked them all once again as we proceeded to go outside and climb into the carriage. This was so exciting and new. The ride was far too short for my liking and it felt strange being in such a rundown area in such a nice carriage. We were surprisingly quiet during the ride home with only one dispute over which route would be the best way to take home. The poor driver was so confused. We reached our old, shaky flat and bid the driver good day. He clearly was not too enthralled with the idea of carting around such street urchins like us. He looked as if he had plenty of more important things to do and I despised him for it. He was not friendly at all, but at least he did as he was told and I was able to ride in such a luxurious vehicle.

"Ready?" Colar held his arm out as I took it only because I could not walk on my own quite yet. We slowly moved up the stairs embarrassingly. I felt so weak and helpless as he pulled me along. For some reason, he was so enthusiastic about getting back inside. Sure it was warmer in there, but not that much better. Finally, we reached the door and he swung it open into darkness. He then lit a lamp next to the doorway, illuminating the small room that was our home.

Simultaneously, shouts of "Surprise!" and "Welcome home!" rang throughout as my friends popped up from hiding spots in the room. I gasped in shock at the surprise then found myself grinning from ear to ear. They were all here and I was just so happy to see them. I had been away for three nights, but it felt so much longer. We all exchanged greetings and hugs, trying to catch up on what had happened while I was away. Thankfully, nobody asked what had happened and I wasn't sure how much Colar had told them anyway.

I learned about how the officials of Paris sent out posters and letters to the paper about cancelling the banquet. They did not even come out and say it directly to the people. Cowards. There were also great consequences for those who attempted to hold a gathering against the king. So, that is when Colar and the others decided they weren't going to go through that again and that they were going to rebel. Colar's job at the newspaper office is a great asset to us because it helps him stay on top of the latest news and he is able to use the printer to make our flyers and other papers we need. That is how they've been spreading the word of the uprising. Instead of holding speeches, they have been quietly speaking to supporters of the socialist party. That had been filling most of their days while I was injured and I couldn't wait to join in and help.

Also, Manon told me the story of how she'd been rescued and Colar. The two of them told this grand story of how she'd just closed a deal with a bourgeois to supply us with money for weapons and other supplies for our cause. She told the story with much enthusiasm and drama, "Then, out of nowhere, I was attacked from behind!" She told me, "They grabbed me and handcuffed me violently as the man I had just received money from ran off, saving his own rich hide and leaving me to fend for myself. There was no time for me to react, but as they were chaining me, Aceline and Zoe saw and came running over to see what was wrong. The officers were violent and strong, we stood no chance. I was able to slip them the check as they hauled me away." She explained.

I snorted, "Wow Manon, aren't you a smart, brave thinker. Sacrificing yourself for the cause."

"That's when Aceline and Zoe came running to me, not knowing what else to do." Colar butted in.

"Oh dear God, here we go." I muttered, preparing myself to hear just how amazing he was. These people let this whole leading a revolution thing get to their heads.

They then proceeded to tell me this grand story that I barely listened to. What really happened was that he needed to bail her out so he remembered the check they had and ended up using that to get her out. Heroic story, I know.

The rest of the night was filled with food and drink that everyone had brought to share. We talked and sang and danced for hours together. Paper and books were brought out and Coltaire and Gervais got into friendly political arguments. Manon and Ignace drunkenly and comically danced the night away. The mellower ones of our group, Elliot and Zoe, spent much of the night together, I had noticed. I spoke with them for a while on my experiences with the doctor and the tests he performed on me, much to Zoe's interest. Another pair I noticed who spent much time together that night, oddly, was Aceline and Rainier. The two of them were almost family, seeing as he was the cousin of her fiancée, but I found it odd they sat together alone. Odilon, on the other hand, hardly spoke to her and was having a grand time drinking beer with Colar, Gervais, and Coltaire. Overall, it was a really fun night and for the first time in a while, I was truly content and happy. We were all such good, close friends and these people were the ones that got me through life. They helped pick me up off my feet and gave me hope and something to fight for.

Back when I was young and living at the orphanage, was not a time I often liked to think or speak about. It was a cold, dark, frightening time, but it also greatly shaped who I was. I was strong and determined to let no one stand in my way. I wasn't afraid to die, either. Colar and I often joked about how we were going to hell just to annoy Elliot who was bent on saving our souls. No matter where I was going, as long as I know that I died for something important, it was okay because death couldn't be any worse than life.

It was quite late when the festivities came to a close. I was very tired from the party and Colar was too as we said good-bye to our friends, watching them leave in their different directions in the cold winter night. We began to walk about and clean our little place, picking up food and cleaning stains and empty bottles on the floor. Our home was simply a room with two beds side by side on the left, a table with two chairs to the left, and a hardly used kitchen area in the back. It only contained a single drafty window on the far wall looking out at the slums of Paris. Finally, after a while, he asked what I've been nervously waiting for him to ask, "What are you going to do now? You won't go back there right?" He asked. I knew what he was saying. What was I going to do for money now? By "there" he meant prostituting. I sat down on my bed and he followed.

I shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe." The sad thing was we both knew that in a matter of days it wouldn't matter. We would most likely both be dead. That was the plan, anyway. I didn't want to think about it too much right now. I finally turned to look at him, "Well I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep now and finish this," I gestured to the messy room, "tomorrow."

"Yeah," He nodded, "Night."

With that he got up, the bed bouncing in relief as his weight was taken off. It suddenly felt so cold and empty. I shook my head, though and slipped under my covers as he blew out the candles and did the same.

Unfortunately, sleep did not come easy. I tossed and turned, getting a few minutes of actual sleep here and there. It was miserable and I was cold. That was the first time I had really thought about what had happened and I replayed it over and over again in my mind. His grimy hands on top of me, then smashing my head in. The pain and fear I could feel so vividly. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I swung out of bed and attempted to clear my mind by continuing cleaning. I first turned my attention to the table that stood in between our beds. The boys had taken out all the papers and books during the party and they were now thrown messily around. I lit a candle and proceeded to tidy it up. Shifting through the papers, I reached the bottom of the pile and a book underneath everything slipped and fell on the floor with an audible thud.

I reached to pick it up and realized I recognized it. It was the nicest book we had and I looked at its leather cover with shiny letters. It was Marius's book I remembered. I had forgotten all about it. I stood up and stared at it. The truth was, I couldn't read. Strange for the leader of a revolution, I know, but I hid it well. Colar helped me with that. I snorted as I realized that this boy who hated me so actually did help me a lot. I looked over at him to find that he had woken up as well, "Hey Estee, what're you doing? What do you have there?" He mumbled sleepily.

"It's Marius's book." I replied.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." He responded, sitting up, "Les Réflexions de La Révolution. That's what it was called, right?"

I shrugged, "you tell me."

"Well, let me see it." He held out his hand as I came over. I handed it to him and sat down on the bed beside him as he studied the cover. "Couldn't sleep?" He asked. I shook my head. "Well, you want me to read a section?" He asked, "To help pass time?"

"Sure." I replied, it would help pass some time and I was genuinely interested in the stories. I was curious to see what these people had experienced.

"Okay, which one?" He asked.

"Here," I took the book and randomly opened it to a page. It seemed the easiest way to decide. I handed it back to him as he moved over so we were sitting up side by side with our heads on the headboard. I looked over at it, but it made no sense to me. I wished I could read and I could recognize some words and understood most of the letters, but I never had a good education growing up and no time to really learn now.

He cleared his throat and began, "Le 11 août, 1792. Yesterday I was supposed to die. Although my body made it out alive, I do not believe my soul did. A large piece of me died and I don't think I'll ever get it back. Yesterday, we held an insurrection and marched on the Tuileries. Everyone considered it a success for the Republic. The king and his family fled and I believe they will no longer be in rule after the events of yesterday. The alarm rang either late night on the 9th or early morning on the 10th. That was the sign for everyone, from the bourgeoisie to the proletariat, to pick up their rifles and march out. We wanted political freedom and a democracy and for all what we've fought for not to be ruined by idiotic, selfish leaders. We waved our red flag we created just for the revolution, full of adrenaline and fight. We stormed the Tuileries where the king and his family had been hiding with the Assembly. There, we were met by the Swiss Guard and the royalist army. Unfortunately, many women were far too invested in this fight and sisters, daughters, and lovers followed their men into the battle. My dear Charlotte was one of them.

Charlotte was a fiery young girl with soft brown eyes and short blonde hair. As the alarms rang in a call to arms, she woke up beside me and slipped on her own shirt and pair of boots, grabbing a gun of her own on the way out. I begged and pleaded her not to come, but she heard none of it. She was too stubborn and devoted to this. And maybe I would not have put up such a fight about it, if it weren't for the baby. Charlotte was almost two months pregnant. It's not that we didn't want the baby; it's just that it was a bad time. We were two foolish and in love twenty-year-olds living together and we weren't even married, nor planned to be anytime either. Charlotte was not the motherly type and saw it as a nuisance more than anything.

When the crowds broke into the Tuileries, there was so much chaos and disorder, we were separated. I fought hard, running breathlessly around, shooting at the thousands of guards, dodging bullets and watching others fall all around me. In the meantime, the heavens had opened up and rain was falling around us in the gardens. Finally, we literally ran right into each other. I looked down at the gash in her forehead and the bullet wound in her shoulder. I had blood on me too, although I couldn't tell if it was mine or someone else's. 'Charlotte.' I breathed as we embraced.

'Listen,' she spoke quickly, 'I'm being chased. I just killed their commanding officer and now they're coming to kill me too. But I did it; a few others and I were able to kill him!'

My heart sped up as I looked into her eyes. They were so happy and proud, but yet so sad and devastated. 'Charlotte what are you talking about? You need to run then. Come on let's go!' I grabbed her arm and we began to take off, but the guards were closing in on us too fast.

She stopped suddenly, 'You need to get out of here.' She whispered, 'I'm sorry, but I can't.' She placed a hand on her stomach, 'Out of the three of us, one can survive. Please go and stay alive. For us. I'm sorry I couldn't give you the family you deserved. Now go before I die for nothing!' I looked into her beautiful brown eyes and didn't know what to do or say. So I grabbed her and pulled her to me in a kiss. She immediately returned the kiss as our lips touched passionately. I'll never forget it. It was long and powerful and I felt like I was in a dream as the fighting and rain around me seemed to quiet down and stop. Every emotion I'd ever felt, I pressed firmly to her lips as she responded the same. I'm not sure how long it lasted, but it was all too soon because she was violently ripped away. 'Go!' She called, as they put a gun to her head, 'Please!' She wailed. She didn't want me to watch this, so like the idiot I am, I turned and ran just as the gunshot sounded.

I sit here now, writing this, a broken man. I should have died there with her, but I was a coward and an idiot, not knowing what to do. She was so full of life and I know she would want me to be too. I can try, but I don't think I can ever truly live without her. Dear reader, if there's one thing you can learn from this, its hold on to the one you love. Tell them you love them and always kiss them like you are about to die. As Charlotte always said, 'we don't know when we're going to die until we do, so make every moment count, it could be your last.'

Signed, a broken revolutionary."

Colar finished and we fell into silence, not knowing what to say. That was an intense story and not one I would have chosen had I been able to read it first. I just flipped to a random page. I didn't even move for a few moments, thinking of that poor man, wondering what became of him. Finally, I heard Colar take a breath. "Wow." He breathed softly. As the story progressed, his voice that had started out confident and light-hearted turned soft and quiet. I also realized I had gotten much closer to him, trying to hear the words he was saying.

"Yeah." I replied back in the same speechless whisper. That really was some story. There were no words to describe it. I thought I was going to hear some grand war story about bravery and heroism. Boy was I wrong. That was so sad and heartbreaking. It wasn't fair. He loved her and they were going to have a family together and it was taken away. But I suppose that was the price you pay for revolution. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, but I thought about what it would be like to live without Colar. Or any of my friends for that matter. Life was just _dark _before I found the revolution to live for. I don't think I could live with myself if I survived and any of them died. There was simply no life without them. But, I had already accepted the fact I would die. Already ran it over and over in my head a thousand times. There was no reason to remain living. And I'm pretty sure Colar felt the same way.

But then, the world suddenly moved too fast for me to keep up. At the same instant, our heads turned up, our faces inches apart. His deep blue eyes poured into my soul and my heart picked up a few beats. Then, we closed the little gap, and our lips touched. His mouth was surprisingly soft and against mine. My heart picked up even faster as my stomach fluttered like a thousand butterflies. It was as if my brain shut down and something else overcame me. It only lasted a few seconds, because we realized what was going on and pulled apart at the same time.

Then, my brain caught up to my body as it went into overdrive. Did we just-? Our mouths-? What the-? My brain was snapping into all different directions, but they all lead to the same realization. Colar and I had just _kissed. _No. That's not possible. We couldn't stand each other. As he just stared at me in complete and utter shock, I leaped up backwards. This could _not_ be happening.

**Okay, so what did you think? And I originally not going to spend this much time in Estelle's POV when I started the story but it's kind of writing itself at this point and I kind of like these two. So what I want to know is do you guys like this whole other story line or do you prefer me to stick to the Marius/Estelle part of it more? Also, next chap do you want me to pick up from here or see what's going on with Marius and his thoughts on Estelle and whats going on with the government and stuff? Or maybe do half and half? haha you guys are the ones reading and keeping this story going so I want to know what you want! Okay, this was really long and I'm sorry and I hope you read all of it thanks!**

**Oh and P.S: emma. mg. 9, I just want to say that your review made me laugh because I already wrote this chapter when you posted the review haha you read my mind!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Bonjour again! First of all, let me say I'm so sorry for the long wait. It's been like three months! Ah I'm sorry but life was so incrediblly crazy. I think I've had more mental breakdowns in those three months than in my entire life! I had AP exams, senior project, track, essays, homework, work, and some very beautiful beach days that I just had to take advantage of, among other things you probably don't care about. Well, I am done with most of that crazyness so for now I'm hoping to be writing again and at least updating once a week. Just bear with me people, I'm almost done with May and after this month, things should calm down.**

**Anyway, I hope my wonderful readers are back and still supportive and if you're new, that's great I love you too! Enjoy this chapter!**

_Estelle_

My mind was racing as I stood there dumbly. The two of us had no idea what was going on. "I-uh" I began. Words weren't forming in my head or on my tongue properly. His stupid face just kept staring at me with no reaction except for that surprise that it still held. I was waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. Why wasn't he saying anything? Why couldn't I say anything?

He moved to get up and I couldn't take it anymore. I felt like the room was going to explode if this situation got anymore awkward. So I ran. I turned around as he shifted off the bed and took off out the door. It was freezing outside, but I was completely numb to everything. I attempted to run, but it was more of a hobble as I made my way down the street, clutching my side as the world spun around me. I didn't get far, but when I felt as if I couldn't move any farther, I fell into the nearest alleyway. I sat down and brought me knees to my chest, resting my tired head on them. Once I caught my breath, I noticed it began to snow. I felt so terrible sitting there. My heart was still racing from what had happened as I replayed it in my head over and over. What was I thinking? I had no idea how that happened. It was as if I wasn't in control of myself for those moments. I was so confused and I couldn't handle all this emotion. A lump formed in my throat as I began to silently sob for reasons I couldn't fathom. I brought my hand to my lips and touched them. Did Colar's lips really just touch mine?

I sat there for a long time, shivering and sobbing, just thinking everything over. My life had officially been completely thrown upside down. I had experienced so many twists and turns in life, but lately my life had been slowly being tipped. This was just the breaking point. How much more could I take? I wondered what Colar was doing right now. Was he looking for me? Probably not. He probably didn't want to see me right now. I hated him so much. Or maybe it was myself I hated. We just destroyed the delicate, carefully-placed boundaries and lines of whatever our relationship was. It was created on annoyance and hatred, but shaped into one of a game to see how comfortable we were around each other. We freaking lived together, so that was much time spent together. The relationship was focused on the revolution and nothing else as far as we were concerned. I just could not explain what we were to each other or how we felt about each other to anyone. I didn't know myself.

He and I had separate lives and others in our lives. He was quite the lover, or so I've heard. He had girlfriends before and girls he met on drunken nights. He was not naive when it came to that. And neither was I. I was a prostitute for Christ's sake. And I'd been with boys I actually liked before. We'd both kissed and been kissed, hell I've kissed total strangers before. But I could never imagine kissing him until just then. I still couldn't believe it. I sat there in the snowy night for so long that it was starting to accumulate around me. Maybe I would die here and I wouldn't have to face him ever again. I often prayed for death. It would just be easier than living.

Finally, I heard footsteps and someone whispered my name, but it wasn't just anyone. "Estee?"

I stiffened, wondering how long he had actually been looking for me. He turned down the alleyway and saw me sitting there. I started back and felt heat creep up into my cheeks and my heart pick up a beat.

"Hey." He croaked.

I couldn't muster any words back. Instead of continuing to speak, he walked over to me, and I forced myself to make eye contact as he stood over me. His eyes looked frightened almost. I watched him extend a hand to me. I took it and he hauled me up. We walked home side by side in silence, neither of us knowing what to say.

The next morning he was gone. I had managed to slip into a few hours of sleep last night and I woke in the early light to look over and find his bed vacant. I wasn't sure if I was glad I didn't have to face him or angry I let him slip out without me knowing. I found some bread and sat at the wobbly table in the kitchen looking out the window. I had nowhere to go and nothing to do, so I just sat there for ages, nibbling on the piece. I could not believe that last night happened; it was like a dream, or maybe nightmare. It was funny how life changes so fast. A month ago, I was so confident about life. I thought I held the answers to everything, that I had my priorities and life set. I had become a prostitute, but had been doing it long enough to accept the fact and enjoy the little bit of money on the side. I knew who my friends were; I had a job, a life, and a cause. Now, everything was turned upside down. Sure, life wasn't easy, but at least it was consistent. Now, I was a mess. I didn't know what to feel or think or do.

I didn't want to sit around all day, but I didn't know where to go. Colar was at work and who knew where Marius or my friends where. Hopefully, I would see them all later tonight, though. The long awaited uprising was coming upon us soon and from everyone last night, they were excited for this. This is what we've waited years for. There were only three days until people took to the streets. And I was determined to be one of them. What did Colar care about my life anyway? He was more than happy to die to free the people of France, so why couldn't I be? How could he think that I had more to live for than him? I would certainly say he had more in life for him than me. I sighed and stood up; I had decided to go out and attempt to walk around. There wasn't much else to do.

After hours wandering around, I headed over to the meeting in the basement of the restaurant. I wanted to see my friends, but I didn't want to see _him. _I didn't feel like myself anymore. I felt tired and defeated, both mentally and physically. I prayed to God there wouldn't be any more surprises in life soon. I opened the door and was greeted by the warmth of the fire burning below. Below, I could hear voices buzzing excitedly and it helped to shift my mood a little. Everyone was so excited for this fight, for this chance to change the world. Of course I knew that revolution wouldn't happen overnight, but this was just another step in a work in progress to a better France.

"Estelle's here!" Manon shouted as I descended the stairs, my eyes scanning the room. I wanted to smack her for making it so bluntly obvious that I had arrived. Odilon handed me a drink as Elliot pulled out a chair for me to sit at the nearest table. I looked in the back of the room and made eye contact with Colar who had looked up from his papers as Manon announced my presence. His deep eyes behind his cool exterior searched my brown ones for answers to questions I didn't know. I stared in uneasiness and shock back at him, but we couldn't remain like that for too long or someone would notice. He nodded his head and mumbled a greeting before going back to his work. I felt as if I was in a daze, not sure what to say or how to act. Thankfully, nobody else could see what was going on and their excitement and obliviousness helped me get through it and focus.

Everyone spoke at once and I tried to make sense of it all, but then Colar stood up on his table. "Listen up everyone, the people have spoken! They want this revolution and down with the king!" His voice boomed confidently as everyone cheered. "On the day of the banquet, we will gather at noon and we will protest! We will come in peace, but fight if need be! Let it be known who we are and that they cannot keep us quiet any longer. The injustices of the king will not be allowed anymore!" Everyone was talking and cheering louder than ever now. I just sat from my chair and watched him speak. The spotlight was entirely his now. He spoke so assuredly, so convincingly, that I understood why people would follow him. The boy had a knack for words and these people would probably jump off a bridge if he said so. Watching and listening to him, I had to admit he was a great, strong, fierce leader who really cared about this cause and about the people. He did give up his entire life and cut off his family all those years ago in order to help the poor. "The revolution approaches in a matter of days and we must be prepared. Who's ready?" He finished as they all raised their glasses in agreement.

As he stepped down, his eyes made contact with mine, awkward and confused. The world really was changing, in more ways than one.

* * *

_Marius_

I sat, staring at the men gathered around my table. Only three days until February twenty-second. The men here had no worries now that the banquet had been called off. They joked, drank, and cheered to the king. I watched them all, feeling like an outsider knowing information that they could not conceive of. Did they not know that they could only keep these people oppressed for so long? These people were so desperate and had nothing left. The faces of the young adults I had grown to know flooded to my mind. Young Zoe with soft brown eyes, wide-eyed curly haired Odilon and Ranier, dirty Manon, red-headed Elliot, fancy Aceline with her blonde curls, and others. They were going to protest and were willing to fight for this if they needed to. The final preparations were being made and donations and help collected. They had quite the gang of workers formed and I even believed there was a chance this could be successful. This is what they've been waiting so long for. I had a feeling they were going take every step necessary and cover all bases and be sure they did not fail. But nobody could know for certain.

"Ay! Marius! Cheer up, man! They cancelled that ridiculous banquet and now we get to relax a little! We've got plenty of more time to deal with these revolutionaries!" My friend, Simone, sat ungracefully next to me and sloshed his beer. "What's your problem? You've been so moody lately, you emotional fool!" He erupted in drunken laughter, "What? Is there a problem with the Madame Marius? Is it safe to leave her alone like that? You know what I mean?" He nudged me and raised an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes and shoved him back.

"You're drunk Simone." I laughed as he just shook his head.

"Nah, I'm just starting. Who wants another round?" He called as he stood up and proceeded to walk over to the bar where a live band was playing. He foolishly danced around and stumbled into others who were trying to dance, breaking apart couples and attempting to dance with those without a partner. I watched his messy antics with a slight smile on my lips.

My mind now drifted to Cosette. There was no chance she would be cheating on me, I was confident in her loyalty. Although I did worry about her fragileness. We had exchanged few letters since I had come here and I did not give her much information, just simply talking about Paris and the growing tension. She replied with words about our sons and their daily lives in the little countryside. I loved it so much more there. It was quiet and peaceful, beautiful, slower paced, safer, and every breath was like a breath of fresh air. The city, on the other hand, was corrupt, dirty, dangerous, and the people were disgusting. There were rich, arrogant snobs then the dirt poor, starving industrial workers.

Later that night, we all made our way out of the lively bar and into the cold streets of the winter night. As we headed back to the hotel, I looked up at the sky to see only a few bright stars out. I looked at them with a conflicted, heavy heart. What would these next days bring? I counted the ones I could see. One- Eponine. Two- Enjolras. Three- Jean Valjean. Four- Grantaire. Five- Inspector Javert. Six- Gavroche. There were others, too. The innumerable amount who have died here in this sad, poor country of France. They were as abundant as the stars in the sky, some shinning brighter than others, but all there and all a part of this unfair universe. One day I would join them, but for now I just hoped they were watching over me. Watching all of us.

They were about to witness the dawn of a new era that began with the first gunshot of fighting on February 22, 1848. That was to be the first spark of revolutions that were to spread like a wildfire all over the continent. Judgment day was upon us and no one was certain who would prevail through it. Revolution was about to begin.

**Wow, it's been a while now, hasn't it? I hope my writing is still good. This was just a continuation of last chapter and a prelude to the next, which will begin with la revolution! Please review so I know you're still there and you want me to continue! Merci!**

**-xoxo,**

** Charlie**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello whoever is still reading this! Let me just say sorry for the sporadic updates that keep coming, but there is a new chapter now! And the battle begins! I hope people still read this because I love my readers so much and I wouldn't be writing this story if it weren't for your support! So enjoy this next chapter!**

_Estelle _

Today was the day. I had hardly slept the night before and now in the early morning light, adrenaline flowed through my veins. In about an hour we were all to meet on Rue St Maur and then divide up to march around the city. That was to be home base, though. There, we were to finalize plans and re-check weapons amongst other final preparations. If this were to end in violence and last days, we also had barricade building plans made. Most of the troops that had been recruited were industrial workers and knew how to build efficient barricades. The beauty of this revolution was that we had people of all parties, classes, genders, races, ages, and from different places joined in this revolt against a corrupt king everybody hated. Today was the day that would change everything. At least that's what I prayed.

I looked over at Colar who was pulling ammunition out from where we kept ours in the closet. He turned when he saw me staring and gave me a grave nod. He was ready. It had been a few days since our kiss and we never spoke about it. We just tried to slip back into our old routine and our usual selves, as if it had never happened. But the problem was that it had, and it was going to take a while before anything could ever go back to normal. Thankfully, we've had the revolution to keep our minds occupied so it wasn't addressed. When we did talk, that was pretty much all we talked about. I sighed and hopped off my bed to help him, not saying a word. There was too much yet nothing to say at the same time. So, we didn't speak. And I was fine with that.

When we reached Rue St Maur, there were many people already gathered, but there were still many more to come. They all stood with wide eyes and dirty faces in the frozen morning and twitched and spoke nervously and quietly to one another. Tension was in the air and Colar and I knew we had to shake them out of it. I went over to one group as he collected weapons from everyone. They were all laboring men who I spoke to first.

I approached as confidently as possible and tried to remain calm yet excited. "Are you men ready for this? This is the day we stand up to them and make a difference in the world." I informed as they all nodded. "You men are all going to head north and then come down past the Arc de Triomphe." I directed. "Now who wants to take charge of this group?" They all remained silent. It has been so easy to rally them up a week ago, but now that we were actually about to do this, they had all turned into cowards.

Finally, I heard a voice speak up, but it came from behind me. "I will!" I turned around to see Aceline and Odilon come strolling down the muddy street hand in hand. Odilon had his hand raised in the air and a grin on his face. The two had ditched their usual fine, fancy clothing for simple outfits that matched the rest of the crowd. I smiled at the sight of them. They were here and this was real. As the approached, Aceline hugged me and Odilon nodded as he introduced himself to his troops who seemed to welcome him as their leader.

"Oh sweetie! How are you?" Aceline squeaked, "I can't believe you're here! How did you convince Colar to let you come? When you got hurt, he was so upset! He told Odilon there was no way he was going to let you come and risk it." I raised an eyebrow as I looked over and saw him looking at a map with some of the troops that showed up. He was dirty and looked tired, but he stood straighter and prouder than any rich man. I watched his lips giving orders that flowed out so easily. I found myself standing there, unable to keep my eyes off his face. I knew I should have looked away, but I just could not.

"Um, hello Estelle!" Aceline waved her delicate hand in front of me.

"Wha?" I snapped out of it and found her face in front of mine, her eyes sparkling with excitement, a knowing gleam in them.

She gasped, "Estelle! Are you and Colar…?"

"Ah! Ew, no. No no no. Colar and I? N-no." I sputtered, caught off guard. "Ugh, God no. Why would you ever say that?"

"Mmhm." She nodded slowly, "Whatever you say."

"Aceline. No." I looked her in the eye desperately. My heart was racing and I did not want to talk about it or let the others find out.

"Alright, fine. No need to get so defensive." She shrugged, but a small smile still played on her lips.

"And besides," I continued, "he doesn't own me. I can make my own damn decisions."

"But really, though," She asked, getting serious, "how are you?"

"I'm fine." I growled then shoved past her over to where Gervais and Clotaire were playing with guns, which was never a good idea. The truth was by now I had developed a convincing walk so that I was no longer limping painfully, but pain still shot up my side after walking for too long. I downplayed it as much as possible. Mostly so that I didn't have to think about that night. As if my pride needed to be wounded any more. I did not want to be seen as a weak link at all, but it felt as if I was becoming everyone's charity case, them all being extra nice around me and constantly worrying if I was okay, all afraid to say the wrong things in front of me. It was like I needed to prove myself all over again.

"Hey!" I snapped when I reached the boys, in no mood to be cheery and uplifting. They snapped their heads up and dropped the guns when they saw me. "There are plenty of people here who are scarred and have no idea what is going on and yet here you two are playing with guns. Go find something productive to do!"

They looked at me for a second before Clotaire mumbled, "okay mom," then they stalked away. I rolled my eyes and searched for my co-ringleader who was currently at the top of my shit list. He was making his way around and currently assigning Elliot a group to lead. I looked around some more and saw Zoe setting up a medical station in an alleyway that connected to the one we were on. Ignace was helping her. She was a sweet girl who was going to make a great doctor one day. I looked up and the sun was now fully in the sky. We would be leaving soon.

"There you are. I haven't seen you all morning." I heard someone say behind me and I whirled around to face Colar. My hair blew in front of my face in the wind as I attempted to pull it back.

"Yeah. Well we've been busy. There's much to do." I replied softly. My heart sped up as I waited for him to say something that would make me yell at him. We just stared at each other for a long time, waiting for the other to say something. I wondered if he was going to tell me to go home. That I wasn't needed here.

Instead, though, he simply lifted his cap off his head and put it on mine over the bun I made, keeping the bits that were flying everywhere back so I could see better. "Go get 'em, soldier." He placed his hand on my thin shoulder and gave it a squeeze before turning around and going to his group he was to take. I watched him go silently, not knowing what to feel, before turning around and going over to take over a group myself.

* * *

_Marius _

I had woken up early on the morning of February 22 while the others slept soundly in their beds. To them, this was just another ordinary day, but I knew. My heart was heavy thinking of what this day would bring. I wondered if Estelle was a part of this. I hoped Colar kept his promise and didn't let her. I couldn't lose her too. To keep my mind preoccupied, I wrote a letter to Cosette in response to the one I received last night. She missed me dearly and I missed her too. I had never been away from my family for this long. As I sat back at the desk in my large room, I thought about my boys. What a happy life they lived compared to the children who grew up here. I was grateful for my life in the country, but my life in the city wasn't finished yet. I knew what I had to do.

Once I had washed, dressed, and eaten I left my room at an unsuspicious hour and headed to the post office to drop the letter off. Once that was done, I headed over to Rue St Maur to confess everything to Estelle. I had to tell her and stop her from going into the streets today. I snuck down alleyways and tried to blend in as much as possible, avoiding anyone who could possibly know me and ask any questions of me. As I approached the street, I saw people filing out of the street and it looked as if many had already left. My heart sank. I needed to tell Estelle now. I was so focused on searching the crowd that I hardly noticed I almost ran into Zoe.

"Bonjour Marius." She smiled softly. "What are you doing here?"

I looked down at the brown-eyed soon-to-be doctor, "Bonjour Zoe. I'm looking for Estelle. I need to talk to her."

She gave me a worried look, "Marius, are you sure this can't wait? She's about to lead a protest. She might have already left."

"No!" I breathed, "I need to talk to her right now!"

I left her standing there confused as I darted off into the crowd, panicked. She needed to know. I was kicking myself for not taking all the opportunities to tell her sooner. It just kept getting harder and harder to tell her. I didn't care about her reaction at this point; I just wanted her to know before it was too late.

"Alright my group, let's go! We're moving out!" I heard her shout down on the other end of the street. I looked up and took off after her.

"Estelle!" I called out desperately, "Estelle! Wait!" I approached her quickly and she heard me, stopping to look over.

"Marius?" She asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"

I was out of breath when I reached her, unable to speak. "Listen, there's something I have to tell you." I puffed out. She just stared at me expectantly and slightly annoyed.

"Hey! What's the hold up?" Colar called out behind us. "We need to get going. It's almost noon!"

"Marius, this is going to have to wait. This is more important here!" She rolled her eyes, losing her patience.

"No." I started breathing normally again. "Estelle…I…"

Just then, Colar reached us and instantly knew what was happening. He gave me a pointed look to shut up, but I wasn't listening. I tried to get the words out, but Colar was faster.

"No." He said sternly. "Estee, get out of here and take them. We have to get this right. Now go! Marius. Come with me!" With that, he grabbed my arm and dragged me away as she turned back around and shook her head in confusion.

"Alright, you heard him, let's go!" She ordered as they marched away. I watched my only chance and telling her I was her father slip away.

"Marius, listen to me!" Colar was speaking, "I know you want to tell her, but you just can't. You already blew it when you didn't come after her all these years. The only reason you're even here in the first place is because you were sent here to stop us from doing this! Let her go. She needs to focus and if she survives this, you can then tell her after." He said angrily.

"But…" I felt so useless because he was right. I was also angry at him for letting her go when we agreed not to, but like he said, she wasn't a child and could make her own decisions.

"Marius, I need you to either get out of here or join in and fight. It is your decision, but I can't have you around here distracting everyone with your useless emotions." He said sternly like a leader. He had no more sympathy. It was all business now. He then abruptly left and went back to his group of rebels. "Let's move out." He ordered and they followed as they marched into the street. As I watched them go, I was reminded once again of the old man Jean Valjean who came to the barricade to save the life of his daughter's love and had an idea. I grabbed a rifle, tucked it into my jacket, and followed a group of rebels out of the street.

* * *

_Estelle_

The sun was high in the sky as we reached the Hotel de Ville. My heart was thudding when we approached. I looked across the street and saw Colar coming with his troops. I was slightly shaken by the appearance of Marius and he seemed pretty desperate to tell me something, but nothing could have been more important than this. Colar had taken care of him for me, though. I needed to focus. As we approached the government building, I took a deep breath, keeping my eyes on Colar that whole time and shouted, "Vive le republique! Down with the monarchy!" As my shout reached the air, it was immediately followed by other shouts coming from everywhere else. Together, we poured into the street and shouted "No more Orleans!" and "get rid of Phillipe!" it did not take long for others who were originally going about their daily lives in the street to join in. We shouted at the top of our lungs as we marched along. I couldn't help but grin as I looked around me to see everyone who had banned together for this cause I was so passionate about. They cared too and I believed there were enough of us to actually bring down the government.

I marched confidently down the street until officials came out from everywhere. The National Guard lined up in front of us down at the end of the street and started surrounding us on each side. "Halt!" One of them shouted. "Say another word or take one more step and we will shoot."

We all did stop and stared them down. There was a silence as their rifled clicked and we pulled out ours that were tucked away. I noticed Colar standing beside me and I saw Manon was slowly wedging herself up in between us. We were trapped and we knew it. They had acted faster than anticipated, but we still weren't backing down. I had worked too hard to stand down now.

Then, all of a sudden, Manon shouted "Down with the king!" and stepped forward. In that same instant a shot rang out from the ranks of the National Guard and she collapsed on the spot with a shot from the chest. I let out an audible gasp, but I couldn't think straight or have time to process what was going on because the next thing I knew, Colar shot back and hit one of them down. Then, fire from both sides started instantaneously. Gunshots rang loud from everywhere all at once. I fired my weapon too as each side stormed forward and I darted and dodged incoming bullets that whizzed by, people on both sides falling. Complete chaos filled the streets as I searched desperately for Colar amongst the shouting people and bullets. I needed to find him so we could lead everyone back and build up the barricades.

Then, I saw him. His dirty forehead was covered in sweat in the winter day. His brown hair was ruffled up and sticking this way and that, but he didn't look injured. My brown eyes met his wide deep blue ones and we charged towards each other. We fell into each other's arms to make sure the other was unharmed. He grabbed me by my arms and brought his face close to mine, breathing heavily. "We need to get back to Rue St Maur and get the barricades up now!" He shouted over the sounds of the battle. I nodded, suddenly unable to breathe as my eyes remained locked into his. Around me, the battle seemed to fade away in a surreal manner. Remember how I said each of us had a weak spot when it came to the other? Well, mine was that I was absolutely, fully, and hopelessly in love with him. It was there all along, but I hadn't realized it until right then in that moment. And I was okay with it, happy that I had finally discovered it. Because for some reason, it made complete sense and I was surprised I had not discovered it sooner.

Then, suddenly our lips were touching for the second time. And it wasn't like the last one at all. This one was on purpose and we both knew exactly what was happening. We wanted it to happen. This kiss was not uncertain or timid at all. It was sure and full of meaning. I pressed in as close as possible to him and he responded fully. I had no idea how long it lasted, but it seemed to last forever yet ended far too soon when we let go to take a breath. He pressed his forehead close to mine as a smile formed on his lips. I let out a short chuckle as well for reasons I had no idea. Maybe it was just the situation we were in that made it a funny thing that Colar Mynatt and I were kissing in the middle of a battle.

He closed his eyes and sighed, "You know we have to split up and go back to the barricades now."

I nodded and let out a laugh.

"What?" He asked, smiling back, catching my contagious giddiness.

"It's like the story." I responded as I began to pull away.

He grabbed me and pulled me back, though. "No." He said sternly and seriously. "Not like the story at all. Because we are both going to make it out alive. Got it?"

"Yes." I breathed seriously back.

"Alright." He leaned in and kissed me quickly one more time. "See you at the barricades." He smiled and winked before taking off. I stood there for a moment and watched him take off into the battle.

"At the barricades." I whispered to myself as he bounded out of view.

**I hope this was good for not writing in a while. Let me know what you think and if your still reading this please! Thanks love you guys! :)**


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